Report No. 60
2.3. Interpretation of statutes-Importance of.-
Interpretation, thus, is a familiar process of considerable significance. In relation to statute law, interpretation is of importance because of the inherent nature of legislation as a source of law. The process of statute making and the process of interpretation of statutes take place separately from each other, and two different agencies are concerned. An interpretation Act serves as the bridge of understanding between the two.
Judicial determination of questions of law requires the use of materials of various types, depending on the nature of the question. In the interpretation of statutory provisions the material used will naturally have a sharply legal character, as distinct from the application of a general common law doctrine where it may have a more diffused character. In statutes, greater precision is, therefore, required. The process of interpretation is more legalistic and makes more intensive use of the legal technique in statutory interpretation, as contrasted with the application of common law rules.
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