Haw. Rev. Stat. § 626-2: Effective date; applicability to future cases and pending cases.

This chapter shall take effect on January 1, 1981.

The Hawaii Rules of Evidence in section 626-1 shall apply to actions, cases, and proceedings brought on or after January 1, 1981; provided that the rules shall also apply to further procedure in actions, cases, and proceedings then pending, except to the extent that application of the rules would not be feasible, or would work injustice, in which event former evidentiary rules or principles shall apply.