What is the definition of a canon in a legal context?

In a legal context, a canon refers to a system of correlated rules or standards that guide legal interpretation and the application of law. This definition is rooted in the understanding that canons serve as established criteria or frameworks that legal professionals use to analyze cases, statutes, and legal principles.

These canons help ensure consistency in the application of law and may include specific principles that dictate how various legal texts should be interpreted. For example, canons of construction in statutory interpretation provide rules that judges and lawyers might refer to in order to derive the meaning of ambiguous language within legislative texts.

The other options do not align with this definition. A principle of scientific reasoning focuses on methodology and epistemology, rather than legal structure. A procedural guideline for courts would specifically refer to rules governing court processes, which is not as broad as a system of correlated rules or standards. Similarly, a document outlining legal obligations is more specific and does not capture the broader framework that a canon represents in legal theory.