statutory interpretation

why do we need statutory interpretations?

• Words very often have more than one meaning i.e. they can be ambiguous
• A broad term may be used in a statute which can give rise to confusion and uncertainty
• There may be errors or omissions when the statute is drafted
• New developments in society can make the words used in a statute out of date and they may no longer cover the current situation
• Words are an imperfect means of communication

The Literal Rule This uses the plain, ordinary, literal, grammatical meaning of the words in the statute. Whittley v Chappell (1868)  Where…