Faculty of Law

Marwadi B.A.LL.B. (Hons.)/ B.Com.LL.B. (Hons.)

Subject
10FL0602 5 4 0 2
Code

Course Objectives
1. Acquaint with the concept of Statutes and how is it different from other sources of laws.
2. Learn the mechanism to find out the real intent of the Statutes.
3. Understand the relevancy of Internal and External Aids of Interpretation.
4. Apply the various doctrines of Constitutional Interpretation.

Course Outcomes
On completion of this course, students will be able to
 To be able to define and the concept of Interpretation and its difference with construction
 To be able to demonstrate the different rules of interpretation
 To apply the relevancy of various principles of interpretation
 To be able to analyse the internal aids to construction and external aids to construction.
 To evaluate the roles of judiciary along with extent in ascertaining meaning of any statute
and to develop a higher thinking order through identifying the new judicial trend.
 To be able to elaborate on the interpretation of constitution and its importance.

Detailed Syllabus
Unit/ Sessions (in Case Laws
Descriptions
hours)
Unit: 1  Meaning, Objects, Nature and  P. Ramachandra Rao v. State of
Introduction Scope of ‘Interpretation’ and Karnataka (2002) 4 SCC 578
‘Construction’  Padma Sundara Rao v. State of
 Types of Interpretation and Tamil Nadu (2002) 3 SCC 533
Statute  Bhatia International v. Bulk
(10 hours)  Difference between Trading S.A. (2002) 4 SCC 105
Interpretation and  D.M., Aravali Golf Club v.
Construction Chander Hass, 2007 (14)
 General theories of SCALE 1 (the interpretation of
Interpretation of Statutes this case is to understand the
 Nature and Kinds of Indian judicial restraint and judicial
Laws: Statutory, Non- activism)
statutory, Codified, State-made
and State-recognized laws.
 Act should be read as a whole
(Ex Viceribus Actus)
 Ut Res Magis Valeat Quam
Pereat
Unit: 2  Basic Rules of Interpretation  Jugal Kishore v. Raw Cotton
Rules of  Literal Rule or Plain Meaning Co. AIR 1955 SC 376
Interpretation Rule of Interpretation  Ram Avtar Budhai Prasad v.
 Golden Rule of Interpretation Assistant Sales Tax Officer,
 Mischief Rule of Interpretation AIR 1961 SC 1325
(Heydon’s Rule)  Lee v. Knapp (1967) 2 Q.B.442
(15 hours)  Beneficial Rule of  Nokes v. Doncaster
Interpretation Amalgamated Collieries (1940)
 Rule of Purposive AC 1014
Construction  Heydon’s case (1584) 3 Co.
 Harmonious Construction Rep. 7
Generalis Specialibus Non  IPRS v Sanjay Dalia 2015
Derogant (recent case on Mischief Rule)
 Subsidiary Rules of  Abhiram Singh v CD
Interpretation Commachen 1996 -landmark
 Ejusdem generis case on Mischief rule)
 Noscitur a sociis  R.M.D.C. v. Union of India,
 ReddandoSingula Singulis AIR 1957 SC 628
 Commissioner of Income-tax. v.
Smt. Sodra Devi, AIR 1957 SC
832
 S.R. Chaudhuri v. State of
Punjab (2001) 7 SCC 126
 All India Reporter Karamchari
Sangh v. All India Reporters
Ltd., AIR 1988 SC 1325
 Calcutta Municipal Corporation
v. East India Hotels Ltd., AIR
1996 SC 419
 Oswal Agro Mills Ltd. v. CCE,
1993 Supp(3) SCC 716
 Ashbury Railway Carriage &
 Iron Co. v. Riche (1875) LR 7
HL 653s
 Hamdard Dawakhana v. Union
of India AIR 1960 SC 55
 State of Bombay v Hospital
Mazdoor Sabha 1960 AIR 610
Unit: 3  Short and long titles,  Biswambhar Singh v. State of
Internal Aids to preamble, marginal notes, Orissa, AIR 1954 SC 139 :
Interpretation parts and their captions,  M/s. HiralalRattanlalv. State of
chapters and their captions, U.P. (1973) 1 SCC 216.
section headings  Manoharlalv. State of Punjab,
(10 hours)  Explanations, exceptions, AIR 1961 SC 418 (1961) 2 SCR
examples, provisos and 343
schedules
 Defining legal expressions like
‘means’ ‘includes’, ‘that is to
say’, etc.
 Phrases like ‘grammatical
variations and cognate
expressions’
Unit: 4  Parliamentary History  Shashi Kant Laxman Kale v.
External Aids to  Parliamentary proceeding Union of India, AIR 1990 SC
Interpretation  Later Developments 2114 :(1990) 4 SCC 366
 Dictionaries  S.R. Chaudharyv. State of
 Foreign Judgments Punjab (2001) 7 SCC 126
(12 hours)  State of Mysore v. R.V. Bidap,
AIR 1973 SC 255
Unit: 5  Fiscal Statutes  The Empress Mills, Nagpur v.
Applied  Interpretation of Contracts The Municipal Committee,
Principles of  Interpretation of Treaties Wardha, AIR 1958 SC 341
Interpretation  Travaux preparatoires or  A.S.Sulochanav. C. v
surrounding circumstances Dharmalingam, AIR 1987 SC
242
(13 hours)

Unit: 6 Principles  Doctrine of pith and substance  Prufulla Kumar v. State Bank of
of Constitutional  Colourable legislation Khulna, AIR 1946 PC.
Interpretation  Ancillary powers  Atiabari Tea Co. Ltd. v. State of
 Residuary power Assam AIR 1961 SC 232.
 Doctrine of repugnancy  Bengal ImmModuley Co. v.
(15 hours)  Doctrine of Presumption State of Bihar, AIR 1955 SC 61.
 Retrospective effect  Saurabh Choudhry v. Union of
 Consequence of Repeals. India AIR 2004 SC 361
 The Supreme Court Advocates
on Record Association v. Union
 of India AIR 1994 SC 268.
 Jagdish Sharan v. Union of
India AIR 1980 SC 820

Text Books
 B.M. Gandhi, Interpretation of Statutes, Eastern Book Company, 2nd Edition, 2014.
 T. Bhattacharya, Interpretation of Statutes, Central Law Agency, 6th Edition, 2013.
 Vepa P. Sarathi, Interpretation of Statutes, (Lucknow: Eastern Book Company) 2010
 G.P.Singh, Principles of Statutory Construction, (Nagpur: Lexis Nexis) 2010
 M.N.Rao and Amita Dhanda, N.S.Bindra’s Interpretation of Statutes, (Delhi: Lexis
Nexis) 2007
Reference Books
 Justice G.P. Singh, Principles of Statutory Interpretation, Lexis Nexis, 12th Edition, 2010
 N.S. Bindra’s, Principles of Interpretation, Lexis Nexis, 10th Edition 2011.
 P. Singh “Principles of Statutory Interpretation, (9th Edition) 2008, Wadhwa, Nagpur.
 St. Langan (Ed.) Maxwell on The Interpretation of Statutes (1976), Lexis Nexis
Butterworths, New Delhi.
 S. Bindras, Interpretation of Statutes, 2007, Lexis Nexis Butterworths, New Delhi.
 P, Interpretation of Statutes, (2008) Orient Publishing, New Delhi.
 Bakshi, P.M. Interpretation of Statutes. (2008) Orient Publishing, New Delhi.