Interpretation of Statutes and Principles of Legislation (Elective I, option A)

Unit 1 — Principles of Legislation

Law making -the legislature, executive and the judiciary · Principle of utility · Relevance of John Rawls and Robert Nozick- individual interest to community interest · Operation of these principles upon legislation · Distinction between morals and legislation

Unit 2 — Interpretation of statutes

Meaning of the term Statutes · Commencement, operation and repeal of statutes · Purpose of the interpretation of statutes

• The Interpretation of Statutes
• Statutes (Enactments) — Meaning and Classification
• Commencement of Statutes — Prospective application, Retrospective effect, Repeal of Statutes, Provisions dealing with repeal under the General Clauses Act

Unit 3 — Aids to Interpretation

Internal aids · Title · Preamble · Headings and marginal notes · Sections and sub-sections · Punctuation marks · Illustrations, exception, provisions and saving clauses · Schedules · Non –obstante clause · External aids · Dictionaries · Translations · Travaux Preparatiores · Statutes in pari materia · Contemporanea Exposito · Debates, inquiry commission reports and 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
• The Interpretation of Statutes

Unit 4 — Rules of statutory Interpretation

Primary rules · Literal rule · Golden Rule · Mischief rule [Rule in the Heydon’s Case] · Rule of Harmonious construction · Secondary rules · Noscitur a sociis · Ejusdem generis · Reddendo singula singuli

• Rules of interpretation of Statutes — Literal, Mischief and Golden rule of interpretation

Unit 5 — Presumptions in Statutory interpretation

Statutes are valid · Statutes are territorial in operation · Presumption as to jurisdiction · Presumption against what is inconvenient or absurd · Presumption against intending injustice · Presumption against impairing obligations or permitting advantage from one’s own wrong · Prospective operation of statutes

• Presumptions in Statutory interpretation — Statutes are valid, Statutes are territorial in operation, Presumption as to jurisdiction, Presumption against what is inconvenient or absurd, Presumption against intending injustice, Presumption against impairing obligations or permitting advantage from one's own wrong

Unit 6 — Maxims of Statutory Interpretation

Delegatus non potest delegare · Expressio unius exclusio alterius · Generalia specialibus non derogant · In pari delicto potior est conditio possidentis · Utres valet potior quam pareat · Expressum facit cessare tacitum · In bonam partem

• Legal Maxims — Actus de nemini facit injuriam
• Rules of interpretation of Statutes — Literal, Mischief and Golden rule of interpretation

Unit 7 — Interpretation with reference to the subject matter and purpose

Restrictive and beneficial construction · Taxing statutes · Penal statutes · Welfare legislation · Interpretation of substantive and adjectival statutes · Interpretation of directory and mandatory provisions · Interpretation of enabling statutes · Interpretation of codifying and consolidating statutes · Interpretation of statutes conferring rights · Interpretation of statutes conferring powers

• Rules of interpretation of Statutes — Literal, Mischief and Golden rule of interpretation

Unit 8 — Principles of Constitutional Interpretation

Harmonious construction · Doctrine of pith and substance · Colourable legislation · Ancillary powers · Occupied field” · Residuary power · Doctrine of repugnancy