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Toassistjudgesininterpretingstatutesthereexistvariousaidsthatthey
mayreferto.Aidstostatutoryinterpretationaredividedintointernalaids
andexternalaids.Thesearesometimesreferredtoasintrinsicaidsand
Internet extrinsicaidstointerpretation.
Banking
Internalaids
Internalaidsarethosecontainedinthestatuteitselfandconsistof:
ThelongtitleoftheAct
Explanatorynotes
OthersectionsoftheAct
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LawLegalAid
Interpretation
Externalaids
Dictionaries
textbooks
Academicwritings
LawCommissionReports
Caselawfromotherjurisdictions
Hansard
PreviouslyreferencetoHansardwasnotallowedbythecourts:
DavisvJohnson[1978]2WLR553Casesummary
Howeverthispositionwaschangedin:
EuropeanConventionofHumanRights
SincetheintroductionoftheHumanRightsAct1998inOctober2000the
courts are now obliged as far as is possible to do so to interpret
legislationinlinewithConventionRightsunders.3(1)HRA1998.
The courts must also take into account any judgments made by the
EuropeanCourtofHumanRightsunders.2(1)HRA1998.
Otheraids
Presumptions
Whereastatutedoesnotexpresslyprovideotherwise,itispresumedthe
followingapply:
Statutesdonotaffectthemonarch
Statutesdonotoperateretrospectively
Existingrightsarenottobeinterferedwith
Statutesdonotchangethecommonlaw
mensreaisrequiredforcriminalliability
SweetvParsley[1970]AC132(Casesummary)
Rulesoflanguage
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Ejusdemgenerisrule
Expressiouniusestexclusioalterius
Nosciturasociis
Ejusdemgenerisrule
This applies where a statute contains a list of items followed by and
'other...'.Whenthecourtsaredeterminingwhatiscountsas'other'they
willlookatthecontextofthethingsinthelist.Egastatutewhichstates
itappliestolions,tigers,cheetahsandotheranimalswouldapplyalsoto
leopardsbutnottoahorse.See:
PowellvKemptonPark[1897]2QB242Casesummary
Expressiouniusestexclusioalterius
Thismeanstheexpressmentionofonethingexcludesallothers.Soifa
statutestateditappliestolionsandtigers(withoutstatingandother)it
wouldonlyapplytolionsandtigersandnotleopardsandcheetahs.See:
Nosciturasociis
This applies where there is a list of items in the statute and the item
underconsiderationisincludedinthelist,butthecontextoftheitemsin
the list suggest that the item should not be in the list. Eg if a statute
stateditappliedtocatbaskets,toymice,fleacollarsandfood,underthis
rulealoafofbreadwouldnotbewithintheremitofthestatute.See:
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