The Interpretation Act

The Interpretation Act is a Canada´s statute which provides rules for the interpretation of acts and other legislation.

As happens in Australia and other countries, there is a tendency that the principles to be applied to statutory interpretation are largely covered by various Acts Interpretation Acts.

Interpretation Acts in other Countries

Australia

The Acts Interpretation Act 1901

Republic of Ireland

The Interpretation Act 1923

The Interpretation Act 1937

The Interpretation Act 2005

New Zealand

The Acts Interpretation Act 1924

The Interpretation Act 1999

United Kingdom

The Interpretation Act 1889

The Laying of Documents Before Parliament (Interpretation) Act 1948

The Interpretation Act 1978

Lord Brougham’s Act has been described as an interpretation Act.

Act of the Scottish Parliament

The Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Act 2010

Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954

Measure of the Church Assembly

The Interpretation Measure 1925

Hong Kong

The General Clauses and Interpretation Ordinance 1966

Further Reading

• Scott C. Styles, “The Rule of Parliament: Statutory Interpretation after Pepper v Hart” (1994) 14 (1) Oxford Journal of Legal Studies
• Susan Crennan, “Statutes and The Contemporary Search for Meaning” (PDF), speech, Statute Law Society, London,
• T. R. S. Allan, “Legislative Supremacy and Legislative Intention: Interpretation, Meaning, and Authority” (2004) 63 (3) The Cambridge Law Journal 685