Cal. Civil Code § 5 : California Civil Code — Preliminary Provisions — Same provisions construed as continuation of existing statutes or common law Date: 14 Sep 2016 TEXT PDF Current through the 2016 Legislative Session The provisions of this Code, so far as they are substantially the same as existing statutes or the common law, must be construed as continuations thereof, and not as new enactments. Ca. Civ. Code § 5