Interpretation of Enacted Law — KSLU Jurisprudence Notes

Interpretation of Enacted Law

Legislation speaks in general words; courts must apply them to particular facts. The three classic rules: literal (grammatical meaning first — Sussex Peerage), golden (depart from the letter only to avoid absurdity — Grey v. Pearson), and mischief (Heydon’s case, 1584 — what defect did the Act set out to cure?). The modern Indian default is purposive construction — reading the words in the light of the statute’s object — with internal aids (preamble, definitions) and external aids (reports, parliamentary history) in support.