Art. 5052 Unambiguous language not to be disregarded

When a law is written in plain, clear language, courts have to follow exactly what it says. Judges cannot ignore the actual words of the law just because they think the lawmakers "really meant" something else. If the text is clear, that's the end of the discussion.

This matters because it stops judges from rewriting laws based on guesses about intent. If you're involved in a case and a rule clearly says something, the court is expected to apply it as written rather than look for a different meaning behind it. Courts only start digging into the purpose or "spirit" of a law when the wording itself is confusing or open to more than one meaning.