Aids and the basics

• what is meant by statutory interpretation?

  Where judges interpret statutes or acts of parliament and apply them to cases.
• In terms of interperating the law, what is the role of the judge?

  It is the role of the judge to interperate the statute in a way that parliament intended, therefore putting into the effect the intention of parliament
• what are some difficulties in interperating the law for judges?

  the language can be ambiguous or vague

  unforseeable events
• what are the main aids to help interperate the law?

  Intrinsic aids

  Extrinsic aids

  other acts of parliament

  Other cases

  Reports from the law commission, and the royal commission

  Hansard
• what are intrinsic aids?

  Aids found within the act of parliament itself
• What is included in an intrinsic aid?

  The long title

  The preamble

  Schedule

  Interpretation section

  Explanatory memorandum
• What is the purpose of the long title in an act of parliament?

  The long title should be read as part of the context- it is "The plainest of all the guides to the general objective of a statute"
• What is the purpose of the preamble in an act of parliament?

  This is a long introductory paragraph setting out the purpose of the Act in detail.
• What is the purpose of the schedule in an act of parliament?

  These are found at the end to provide information in the form of lists and illustrations
• what is the purpose of the interpretation section, if an act has one?

  It defines various terms used in the act
• What is the purpose of the explanatory memorandum in an act of parliament?

  It sets out the purpose of the act
• what is an extrinsic aid?

  An external source, information not contained in the act, used to interpret legislation.
• what are examples of extrinsic aids?

  The european convention on human rights

  Dictionaries

  The interpretation act 1978 - it contains a list of many words and phrases which are commonly found in acts