Interpretation of Statutes
Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University · LL.B. Semester 6
Unit 1 — Principles of legislation
law making · principle of utility · Rawls and Nozick · moral and legislation
Unit 2 — Interpretation of statutes
meaning of statute · commencement, operation and repeal · purpose of interpretation
Unit 3 — Aids to interpretation
internal aids: preamble, headings, sections, provisos, schedules, non-obstante clause, explanation, definition clause · external aids: dictionaries, travaux preparatoires, in pari materia, debates, Law Commission reports
- Legislative Material — Internal Aids — Parts of a statute and their function in interpretation of a statute — Short and long titles, preamble, schedules, marginal headings, parts, and their captions, chapters and their
- Judicial material — Ratio and guidelines of courts in the following cases, minority, and majority judgements
Unit 4 — Rules of statutory interpretation
primary: literal, golden, mischief, harmonious construction · secondary: noscitur a sociis, ejusdem generis, reddendo singula singulis
Unit 5 — Presumptions in statutory interpretation
Unit 6 — Maxims of statutory interpretation
Unit 7 — Interpretation with reference to subject matter
taxing, penal and welfare statutes · substantive and adjective · directory and mandatory · enabling, codifying and consolidating statutes
Unit 8 — Principles of constitutional interpretation
pith and substance · colourable legislation · repugnancy · legal fiction