Rule 4 Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, these preliminary provisions and rules of construction shall govern the construction of this code.

This rule explains how to read and understand the California Evidence Code. The rules given at the start of the code help explain what the words and sections mean throughout the whole code.

These opening rules apply everywhere in the code, unless a specific section says something different or the situation clearly calls for a different reading. Think of it like a set of instructions for how to interpret everything else in the code.