For the proper construction of an instrument, the circumstances under which it was made, including the situation of the subject of the instrument, and of the parties to it, may also be shown, so that the Judge be placed in the position of those whose language he is to interpret.
Cal. Civ. Proc. Code § 1860
OF THE GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF EVIDENCE
Applied in 2 court decisions — leading case 256 F. Supp. 2d 1118 - Herring v. Teradyne, Inc. (2002)
Most recently applied in Goodwind Development Corporation, Plaintiff-Counterclaim Defendant-Appellant/Cross-Appellee v. West Bay Corporation and 21st Century Corporation, Defendants-Counterclaimants-Appellees/Cross-Appellants (December 2025)
Enacted 1872.
Official source: California Legislative Information. Reproduced from public-domain California statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.