DAMODARAM SANJIVYYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

Visakhapatnam

COURSE OUTLINE

Title of the Subject: Interpretation of Statute

Name of the Faculty: R.Bharat Kumar Total No. of Hours: 55-60

Note: 1. Academic Session – July- November2017 (Tentatively 60 Hours)

2. Cases mentioned shall have the complete citation
3. Number of Units may be added or reduced as per requirement
4. Books for Reference shall be indicated

Course Description

This course introduces students to various canons of statutory interpretation. The aim of the course is
to enable students to understand and apply various rules of interpretation. The course will also
engage with various judicial approaches towards the use of canons of construction and the
implications of these approaches.
This course is a cross-cutting one, relevant for the understanding of statutory interpretation in all
other law courses. The course also holds relevance for legal practice by students in future as it aims
to improve legal argumentation. Students will learn how to channel their legal arguments through the
use of rules of interpretation, thus learning how to draft good legal memos as lawyers or write sounds
judgments as judges.
The cannons of interpretation will be taught through a case based study. The specific canon will be
introduced followed by an examination of cases as examples of the application of the canon. The
emphasis will be on logical reasoning and the ability to apply the canons to reach a conclusion,
instead of the correctness of the conclusion.
Course Aims and Intended Outcomes
The course seeks to:
1. Make students aware of the need for statutory interpretation given the imprecision of language
and impossibility of anticipating all future events.
2. Enable students to understand and apply various canons of statutory interpretation followed in
the common law legal system.
3. Introduce students to rules of interpretation under international law.

1
Unit UNIT 1 CASES FOR REFERENCE No. of
No. (List of Cases are not exhaustive – Hours
Topic: GENERAL Faculty may discuss or indicate any
INTRODUCTION additional Cases)
1.1 Nature and Kinds of Indian Laws: 2
Statutory, Non-statutory, Codified, Un-
codified,State-made and State-
recognised laws; Meaning and Scope of
‘statute’
1.2 Meaning, Objects and Scope of Article: 2
‘interpretation’ and ‘construction’ 1. Andrew Morisson Stumpff, The Law is
Fractal: The Attempt to Anticipate
Everything, 44 Loy.U. Chi. L.J. 649
(Spring 2013)

2. Frederick Schauer, A Critical Guide to

Vehicles in the Park, 83 New York
University Law Review 1109 (2008)

1.3 Basic Sources of Statutory

Interpretation
1.3.1 The General Clauses Act, 1897 : 2
Nature, Scope and Relevance (with
special reference to sections 6 to 8 of
the Act)
1.3.2 Definition clauses in various 2
Legislations : Nature and Interpretative
Role
UNIT 2
Topic: General Theories and Rules of Interpretation
2.1 1. P. Ramachandra Rao v. State of 3
The Function of the Court is to interpret Karnataka (2002) 4 SCC 578
the law and not to legislate 2. Padma Sundara Rao v. State of Tamil
Nadu (2002) 3 SCC 533
3. D.M., Aravali Golf Club v. Chander
Hass, 2007 (14) SCALE 1
2.2 Statute must be read as a whole 1. Padma Sundara Rao v. State of Tamil 3
Nadu (2002) 3 SCC 533
2. Bhatia International v. Bulk Trading
S.A. (2002) 4 SCC 105
2.3 The Primary Rule : Literal Construction 1. Tej Kiran Jain v. N. Sanjiva 3
Reddy (1970) 2 SCC 272
2. Jugalkishore v. Raw Cotton Co. AIR
1955 SC 376
3. B.N. Mutto v. T.K. Nandi (Dr.) (1979) 1
SCC 361
4. Ramavtar Budhaiprasad v. Assistant Sales
Tax Officer AIR 1961 SC 1325
5. M/s. Motipur Zamindary Co. (Private)
Ltd. v. State of Bihar, AIR 1962 SC 660
6. State of West Bengal v. Wasi
Ahmed (1977) 2 SCC 246
7. M.V. Joshi v. M.U. Shimpi, AIR 1961 SC
1494
8. The Queen v. Charles Arthur Hill Heaten
Ellis (1844) 6 Q.B. 499
9. Matthews v.Dobbins [1963] 1 ALL ER

2
 417
2.4 Golden Rule 1. Lee v. Knapp (1967) 2 Q.B.442 3
2. G. Narayanaswami v. Pannersevan (1972)
3 SCC 717
3. Union of India v. Filip Tiago De Gama of
Vedem Vasco De Gama, AIR 1980 SC 981 :
(1990) 1 SCC 277
4. Nokes v. Doncaster Amalgamated
Collieries (1940) AC 1014
2.5 Mischief Rule of Construction/ Rule of 1. Heydon’s case (1584) 3 Co. Rep. 7 3
Purposive Construction 2. R.M.D.C. v. Union of India, AIR 1957 SC
628
3. Commissioner of Income-tax. v. Smt.
Sodra Devi, AIR 1957 SC 832
4. Utkal Contractors & Joinery (P) Ltd.
v. State of Orissa, AIR 1987 SC 1454
5. Smith v. Hughes (1960) 1 W.L.R.830
6. Rev. Stainislaus v. State of M.P., AIR
1977 SC 108
7. S.R. Chaudhuri v. State of Punjab (2001)
7 SCC 126
8. All India Reporter Karamchari
Sangh v. All India Reporters Ltd., AIR 1988
SC 1325
9. State of Mysore v. R.V. Bidap, AIR 1973
SC 255 : (1974) 3 SCC 337
2.6 Construction Ut res magis valeat quam 1. Avtar Singh v. State of Punjab, AIR 3
pereat 1955 SC 1107
2. Corporation of Calcutta v. Liberty
Cinema, AIR 1965 SC 661
3. M. Pentiah v. Muddala Veeramallapa, AIR
1961 SC 1107

2.7 Rule of Harmonious Construction 1. Sri Venkataramana Devaru v. State of 3

Mysore, AIR 1958 SC 255
2. K.M. Nanavati v. State of Bombay, AIR
1961 SC 112
3. Calcutta Gas Co. v. State of West
Bengal, AIR 1962 SC 1044
4. Sirsilk Ltd. v. Govt. of Andhra
Pradesh, AIR 1964 SC 160
5. The Remington Rand of India Ltd. v. The
Workmen, AIR 1968 SC 224
2.8 Principles of Ejusdem 1. Calcutta Municipal Corporation v. East 3
Generis and Noscitur a sociis India Hotels Ltd., AIR 1996 SC 419
2. Oswal Agro Mills Ltd. v. CCE, 1993
Supp(3) SCC 716
3. Ashbury Railway Carriage & Iron Co. v.
Riche (1875) LR 7 HL 653
4. Brownsea Havens Properties v. Poole
Corpn. (1958) 1 All ER 205
UNIT 3
INTERPRETATION OF TAX, PENAL AND REMEDIAL STATUTES

3.1 Strict construction: Interpretation 1. State of Punjab v. Jullunder Vegetables 3

of tax statutes Syndicate, AIR 1966 SC 1295
2. Atlas Cycles Industries Ltd. v.
Haryana State, AIR 1972 SC 121
3
 3. CIT v. Karamchand Premchand Ltd.,
AIR 1960 SC 1175
3.2 Strict construction: Interpretation 1. M Narayanan Nambiar v. State of 3
of penal statutes Kerala, AIR 1963 SC 1116
2. Fisher v. Bell, (1960) 3 All ER 731

3.3 Liberal construction: 1. MCD v. Female Workers (Muster 3

Interpretation of remedial statutes Roll), AIR 2000 SC 1274
2. Western India Plywood Ltd v. P
Ashokan, AIR 1997 SC 3883
UNIT 4
Topic: Intrinsic/Internal Aids to Interpretation
4.1 Language 1. Biswambhar Singh v. State of 3
Orissa, AIR 1954 SC 139
4.2 Short and long titles
2. M/s. Hiralal Rattanlal v. State of
4.3 Explanations U.P. (1973) 1 SCC 216
4.4 Defining legal expressions like ‘means’ 3. Manoharlal v. State of Punjab, AIR 1961
4.5 Phrases like ‘grammatical variations SC 418
and cognate expressions’; ‘without
prejudice to the generality of…..’
UNIT 5
Topic: Extrinsic/External Aids to Interpretation
5.1 1. ShashiKant Laxman Kale v. Union of 3
Role of Constituent Assembly debates India, AIR 1990 SC 2114
in the interpretation of the Constitution 2. S.R. Chaudhary v. State of Punjab (2001)
of India 7 SCC 126
5.2 Legislative history- Legislative 3. State of Mysore v. R.V. Bidap, AIR 1973
Intention, Statement of objects and SC 255
reasons, legislative debates, Committee
reports, etc.
5.3 International-law and human-rights doc
uments

UNIT 6
Topic: Repeals and temporary statutes
6.1 Repeals and temporary statutes 1. Harshad Mehta v State of Maharashtra. 2
2001 8 SCC 257
UNIT 7
Topic: Interpretation of Constitution
7.1 Doctrine of Pith and Substance 1. The State of Bombay And Another vs 6
7.2 Colorable Legislation F.N. Balsara AIR 1951 SC 318
7.3 Doctrine of Severability 2. K.C. Gajapati Narayana Deo And Other
v. The State Of Orissa AIR 1953 SC 375
7.4 Doctrine of Eclipse.
3. R.M.D. Chamarbaugwalla v. The Union
of India AIR 1957 SC 628
4. Keshavan Madhava Menon v. The State
of Bombay 1961 S.C.R. 288
UNIT 8
Topic: Delegated legislation
8.1 Delegated legislation 1. Hukumchand v Union of India 1972 2 2
SCC 601
UNIT 9
Topic: TREATY INTERPRETATION UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW
9.1 Treaty Interpretation under International 1. Articles 31-33, Vienna Convention of 2
Law the Law Treaties (1969)

Books for Reference

4
Sl. Author Title of the Book Publisher
No.

1. G.P. Singh Principles of Statutory Lexis-Nexis India

Interpretation

2. Vepa P. Sarathi Interpretation of Statutes Eastern Book Co.

3. P. St. J. Langan Maxwell on the Lexis-Nexis

Interpretation of Statutes

4. S.G.G. Edgar Craies on Statute Law Sweet & Maxwell Ltd.

Evaluation Criteria Marks

Mid Semesters Examination 25
Project (10- Written Submission & 5-Viva) 15
Presentation/GD/Moot Court/Role Play 10
End- Semester Examination 50
Total 100