Jurisprudence

• Law is the rule of civil conduct prescribed by sovereign power of enactments promulgated by the legislative authority of the state
• The maxim "Ignorantia legis non excusat" means ignorance of the law excuses no one
• Understanding basic law concepts helps dentists minimize violations and contribute to the orderly progress and general welfare of society
• The 4 basic functions of law are:

  • Define relationships in society and state permissible activities
  • Describe the application of force to maintain rules
  • Provide solutions to problems
  • Redefine relationships when conditions change
• In dentistry, law provides a framework for legal dental actions, delineates responsibilities, establishes boundaries of dental action, and maintains a standard of dental practice
• Sources of law include:

  • Statutory law passed by Congress
  • Constitutional law based on the Constitution and Bill of Rights
  • Administrative law by agencies granted authority by statute
  • Common law based on judges' decisions in court cases
• Classification of law includes:

  • Civil law covering all laws other than criminal law
  • Criminal law to protect the public by punishing individuals threatening social order
• Tort law in civil law deals with injuries caused by others, aiming to compensate victims for harm
• Criminal law allows the state to punish individuals threatening social order through imprisonment, probation, or fines
• Jurisprudence is the philosophy of law that deals with legal principles and relations
• Dental jurisprudence includes laws, doctrines, principles, and legal opinions governing and regulating the practice of dentistry
• Sources of dental jurisprudence include the Constitution, Philippine Dental Law, Code of Dental Ethics, and various legal codes and regulations related to dentistry
• What is the main concern of TORT LAW?

  compensate the injury or harm
• Stare Decisis


  Once an issue has been decided all other cases should be decided the same way
• If there is no existing legal principle, court mat look at _&_

  Custom and tradition