Code of Virginia - Title 1 General Provisions - Chapter 2.1 Common Law And Rules Of Construction

• 1-200 The common law
  The common law of England, insofar as it is not repugnant to the principles of the Bill of Rights and Constitution of this Commonwealth, shall ...
• 1-201 Acts of Parliament
  The right and benefit of all writs, remedial and judicial, given by any statute or act of Parliament, made in aid of the common law ...
• 1-202 General rule of construction
  The rules and definitions set forth in this chapter shall be used in the construction of this Code and the acts of the General Assembly, ...
• 1-203 Adult
  "Adult" means a person 18 years of age or more. (1972, cc. 824, 825, § 1-13.42; 2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-204 Age of majority
  For the purposes of all laws of the Commonwealth including common law, case law, and the acts of the General Assembly, unless an exception is ...
• 1-205 Bond with surety
  "Bond with surety" includes the payment in cash of the full amount of the required bond and, in such case, no surety shall be required. ...
• 1-206 Certified mail equivalent to registered mail
  If any mail or notice is required to be sent by registered mail, it shall constitute compliance with this requirement if such mail or notice ...
• 1-207 Child; juvenile; minor; infant
  "Child," "juvenile," "minor," "infant," or any combination thereof means a person less than 18 years of age. (1972, cc. 824, 825, § 1-13.42; 2005, c. ...
• 1-208 City
  "City" means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined ...
• 1-209 Collegial body
  "Collegial body" means a governmental entity whose power or authority is vested within its membership. (2004, c. 651, § 1-13.4:1; 2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-210 Computation of time
  A. When an act of the General Assembly or rule of court requires that an act be performed a prescribed amount of time before a ...
• 1-211 Constitutional references
  Whenever any act of the General Assembly in effect at noon on July 1, 1971, refers to any section, article, or provision of the prior ...
• 1-211.1 Courthouse; posting of notices.
  If any notice, summons, order, or other official document of any type is required to be posted on or at the front door of a ...
• 1-212 Courts of record
  "Courts of record" means the Supreme Court of Virginia, the Court of Appeals of Virginia, and the circuit courts. (1971, Ex. Sess., c. 49, § ...
• 1-213 Delegation of duties assigned to political subdivision
  The governing body of a political subdivision shall be responsible for any duty or responsibility imposed upon its political subdivision. (1986, c. 239, § 1-17.2; ...
• 1-214 Effective dates
  A. All laws enacted at a regular session of the General Assembly, including laws which are enacted by reason of actions taken during the reconvened ...
• 1-215 Ex officio
  "Ex officio" means service by virtue of one's office and includes voting privileges for ex officio members unless otherwise provided. (2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-216 Gender
  A word used in the masculine includes the feminine and neuter. (Code 1919, § 5; Code 1950, § 1-13; 1950, p. 21, § 1-13.7; 1997, ...
• 1-217 Headlines of sections
  The headlines of the sections printed in black-face type are intended as mere catchwords to indicate the contents of the sections and do not constitute ...
• 1-218 Includes
  "Includes" means includes, but not limited to. (2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-219 Land; real estate
  "Land," "lands," or "real estate" includes lands, tenements and hereditaments, and all rights and appurtenances thereto and interests therein, other than a chattel interest. (Code ...
• 1-219.1 Limitations on eminent domain.
  A. The right to private property being a fundamental right, the General Assembly shall not pass any law whereby private property shall be taken or ...
• 1-220 Local ordinances incorporating state law by reference
  When counties, cities and towns are empowered to incorporate by reference provisions of the Code, acts of the General Assembly, or state regulations into a ...
• 1-221 Locality
  "Locality" means a county, city, or town as the context may require. (2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-222 Majority authority
  Whenever authority is conferred by law to three or more persons, a majority of such persons shall have the power to exercise such authority, unless ...
• 1-223 Month; year
  "Month" means a calendar month and "year" means a calendar year. (Code 1919, § 5; Code 1950, § 1-13; 1950, pp. 22, 24, §§ 1-13.13, ...
• 1-224 Municipality; incorporated communities; municipal corporation
  "Municipality," "incorporated communities," "municipal corporation," and words or terms of similar import mean cities and towns. (2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-225 Nonlegislative citizen member
  "Nonlegislative citizen member" means any natural person who is not a member of the General Assembly of Virginia. (2004, c. 709, § 1-13.13:1; 2005, c. ...
• 1-226 Notary
  "Notary" means notary public. (Code 1919, § 5; Code 1950, § 1-13; 1950, p. 22, § 1-13.14; 2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-227 Number
  A word used in the singular includes the plural and a word used in the plural includes the singular. (Code 1919, § 5; Code 1950, ...
• 1-228 Oath
  "Oath" includes affirmation. (Code 1919, § 5; Code 1950, § 1-13; 1950, p. 22, § 1-13.16; 2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-229 Optional form of county government; effect of change in form
  Whenever any county, city, town, political subdivision, or combination thereof is identified in an act of the General Assembly by reference to its proximity to ...
• 1-230 Person
  "Person" includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and ...
• 1-231 When "person" includes business trust and limited liability company
  Whenever the term "person" is defined to include both "corporation" and "partnership," such term shall also include "business trust and limited liability company." (2002, c. ...
• 1-232 Person under disability
  "Person under disability" includes a person less than 18 years of age. (1972, cc. 824, 825, § 1-13.42; 2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-233 Personal estate
  "Personal estate" includes chattels real and such other estate as, upon the death of the owner intestate, would devolve upon his personal representative. (Code 1919, ...
• 1-234 Personal representative
  "Personal representative" includes the executor of a will or the administrator of the estate of a decedent, the administrator of such estate with the will ...
• 1-235 Population; inhabitants
  "Population" or "inhabitants" means with reference to any county, city, town, political subdivision of the Commonwealth or any combination thereof, the natural persons in such ...
• 1-236 Population classifications
  Any act of the General Assembly with a population classification applicable to any county, city, town, or subdivision of the Commonwealth or any combination thereof ...
• 1-237 Process
  "Process" includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. (1954, c. 543, § 1-13.23:1; 1986, c. 155; 2005, ...
• 1-238 Reenacted
  "Reenacted," when used in the title or enactment of a bill or act of the General Assembly, means that the changes enacted to a section ...
• 1-239 Repeal not to affect liabilities; mitigation of punishment
  No new act of the General Assembly shall be construed to repeal a former law, as to any offense committed against the former law, or ...
• 1-240 Repeal not to revive former act
  When an act of the General Assembly that has repealed another act shall itself be repealed, the previous act shall not be revived without express ...
• 1-241 Seal
  "Seal," when required to be affixed by any court or public office to any paper, includes an impression or print of such official seal made ...
• 1-242 Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections
  "Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections," whenever the Committee is referred to as an appointing authority, means the Senate Committee designated under the Rules of ...
• 1-243 Severability
  The provisions of acts of the General Assembly or the application thereof to any person or circumstances that are held invalid shall not affect the ...
• 1-244 Short title citations
  Whenever a subtitle, chapter, or article does not have a section or provision establishing or authorizing a short title citation for such subtitle, chapter or ...
• 1-245 State
  "State," when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, ...
• 1-246 Stricken language or italics
  Stricken language for deletions and italics for additions or changes may be used in legislative drafts, printed bills, enrolled bills, and printed Acts of Assembly, ...
• 1-247 Summaries of legislation
  Any legislative summary associated with a bill, joint resolution or resolution, including any summary appearing on the face of such legislation, shall not constitute a ...
• 1-248 Supremacy of federal and state law
  The Constitution and laws of the United States and of the Commonwealth shall be supreme. Any ordinance, resolution, bylaw, rule, regulation, or order of any ...
• 1-249 Supreme Court
  "Supreme Court" means the Supreme Court of Virginia. (1975, c. 36, § 1-13.27:2; 2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-250 Swear; sworn
  "Swear" or "sworn" means "affirm" or "affirmed." (Code 1919, § 5; Code 1950, § 1-13; 1950, p. 23, § 1-13.28; 2005, c. 839.) ...
• 1-251 Systems of state highways
  "Systems of state highways" means all systems of highways within the Commonwealth over which the Commonwealth Transportation Board exercises jurisdiction and control. In context, such ...
• 1-252 Tier-city
  "Tier-city" means an incorporated community within a consolidated county that (i) has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more, (ii) has been designated ...
• 1-253 Time zone
  The United States Eastern Standard Time shall be in effect in all parts of the Commonwealth except during the period when the United States Eastern ...
• 1-254 Town
  "Town" means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided ...
• 1-255 United States
  "United States" includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin ...
• 1-256 Weights and measurements; metric equivalents
  Words or terms relating to the customary system of weights and measurements include their International System (SI) metric equivalents, but shall not require the posting ...
• 1-257 Written; writing; in writing
  "Written," "writing," and "in writing" include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or ...

Last modified: April 2, 2009