Kānāwai Māmalahoe
HAWAIIAN TRADITIONAL LAW PROTECTING THE INNOCENT AND DEFENSELESS FROM UNPROVOKED ATTACKS
Law of the splintered paddle; Law of the Splintered Paddle; Māmalahoe; Mamalahoe
Kānāwai Māmalahoe, or Law of the Splintered Paddle (also translated Law of the Splintered Oar), is a precept in Hawaiian law, originating with King Kamehameha I in 1797. The law, "Let every elderly person, woman and child lie by the roadside in safety," is enshrined in the state constitution, Article 9, Section 10, and has become a model for modern human rights law regarding the treatment of civilians and other non-combatants during times of war.