How shall we interpret statutes? Based on their text? Their purpose? The intention of the legislators who voted on it? Or perhaps other methods? Should the interpretation of statutes be different than that of the constitution, judicial decisions, or contracts? How do Canadian courts go about interpretation? In this introductory course we will explore the foundations of legal and statutory interpretation, in a way that would be both useful for the practicing lawyer and for those interested in the conceptual relationship between law and language.
How shall we interpret statutes? Based on their text? Their purpose? The intention of the legislators who voted on it? Or perhaps other methods? Should the interpretation of statutes be different than that of the constitution, judicial decisions, or contracts? How do Canadian courts go about interpretation? In this introductory course we will explore the foundations of legal and statutory interpretation, in a way that would be both useful for the practicing lawyer and for those interested in the conceptual relationship between law and language.
