LB – 404- Interpretation of Statutes and Legislative Drafting

Topic 1: General

(a) Nature and Kinds of Indian Laws: Statutory, Non-statutory, Codified, Un-codified, State-made and State-recognised laws; meaning and scope of ‘statute’
(b) Meaning, Object and Scope of ‘interpretation’ and ‘construction’
(c) Basic sources of statutory interpretation

(i) The General Clauses Act, 1897: Nature, Scope and Relevance (with special reference to sections 6 to 8 of the Act)
(ii) Definition clauses in various legislations: Nature and interpretative role

Topic 2: General Theories and Rules of Interpretation
(a) The Function of the Court is to interpret the law and not to legislate (Judicial

Activism vis-a-vis Judicial overreach)

1. P. Ramachandra Rao v. State of Karnataka (2002) 4 SCC 578
2. Padma Sundara Rao v. State of Tamil Nadu (2002) 3 SCC 533
3. D.M., Aravali Golf Club v. Chander Hass, 2007 (14) SCALE 1
4. Inco Europe Ltd. v. First Choice Distribution (a firm), (2000) 2 All ER 109*

(b) Statute must be read as a whole

5 Padma Sundara Rao v. State of Tamil Nadu (2002) 3 SCC 533 6. Bhatia International v. Bulk Trading S.A. (2002) 4 SCC 105*

(c) The Primary Rule

(i) Literal rule

7. Tej Kiran Jain v. N. Sanjiva Reddy (1970) 2 SCC 272
8. Jugalkishore v. Raw Cotton Co. AIR 1955 SC 376
9. B.N. Mutto v. T.K. Nandi (Dr.) (1979) 1 SCC 361
10. Ramavtar Budhaiprasad v. Assistant Sales Tax Officer,
11. State of West Bengal v. Washi Ahmed (1977) 2 SCC 246
12. M.V. Joshi v. M.U. Shimpi, AIR 1961 SC 1494

13. Union of India v. Delhi Cloth & General Mills, AIR 1963 SC 791*
14. Matthews v. Dobbins [1963] 1 ALL ER 417*
15. Lalita Kumari v. State of U.P. (2014) 1 SCC (Cri.) 524 55
16. State of Madhya Pradesh v. Narayan Singh & Ors., AIR 1989 SC 1789*

(ii) Golden Rule

17. Lee v. Knapp (1967) 2 Q.B.442 67
18. G. Narayanaswami v. Pannersevan (1972) 3 SCC 717 69
19. Union of India v. Filip Tiago De Gama of Vedem Vasco De Gama, AIR 1980 SC 981: (1990) 1 SCC 277 77
20. Nokes v. Doncaster Amalgamated Collieries (1940) AC 1014 83

(d) Mischief Rule of Construction

21. Heydon’s case (1584) 3 Co. Rep. 7*
22. R.M.D.C. v. Union of India, AIR 1957 SC 628 88
23. Commissioner of Income-tax. v. Smt. Sodra Devi, AIR 1957 SC 832 100
24. Utkal Contractors & Joinery (P) Ltd. v. State of Orissa, AIR 1987 SC 1454 120
25. Smith v. Hughes (1960) 1 W.L.R.830 129

(e) Construction Ut res magis valeat quam pereat

26. Avtar Singh v. State of Punjab, AIR 1955 SC 1107 130
27. Corporation of Calcutta v. Liberty Cinema, AIR 1965 SC 661 134
28. M. Pentiah v. Muddala Veeramallapa, AIR 1961 SC 1107*

(f) Rule of Purposive Construction

29. Rev. Stainislaus v. State of M.P., AIR 1977 SC 108 137
30. S.R. Chaudhuri v. State of Punjab (2001) 7 SCC 126 142
31. All India Reporter Karamchari Sangh v. All India Reporters Ltd., AIR 1988 SC 1325 154
32. State of Mysore v. R.V. Bidap, AIR 1973 SC 255: (1974) 3 SCC 337 161
33. Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia v. State of Punjab (1980) 2 SCC 565*

(g) Rule of Strict Interpretation (Penal and Tax Statutes)

34. Bowers v. Gloucester Corporation (1963) 1 Q.B.881 171
35. George Banerji v. Emperor (1917) 18 Cr L J 45 173
36. The Empress Mills, Nagpur v. The Municipal Committee, Wardha, AIR 1958 SC 341 174
37. A.S. Sulochana v. C. Dharmalingam, AIR 1987 SC 242 180
38. McDowell and Co. Ltd. v. Commercial Tax Officer (1985) 3 SCC 230*
39. Standard Chartered Bank and Ors v. Directorate of Enforcement, (2005) 4 SCC 530*
40. R. v. Oakes (1959) 2 All ER 92*
41. M/s Achal Industries v. State of Karnataka, AIR 2019 SC 1653*

(h) Rule of Harmonious Construction

42. Sri Venkataramana Devaru v. State of Mysore, AIR 1958 SC 255

43. K.M. Nanavati v. State of Bombay, AIR 1961 SC 112 191
44. Calcutta Gas Co. v. State of West Bengal, AIR 1962 SC 1044 204
45. Sirsilk Ltd. v. Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, AIR 1964 SC 160: (1964) 2 SCR 448 212
46. Speedline Agencies v. T. Stanes & Co. Ltd. (2010) 6 SCC 257*
47. The Remington Rand of India Ltd. v. The Workmen, AIR 1968 SC 224: (1968) 1 SCR 164 217

(i) Principles of Ejusdem Generis and Noscitur a sociis

48. Calcutta Municipal Corporation v. East India Hotels Ltd.,
49. M/s Siddeshawari Cotton Mills Pvt. Ltd. v. U.O.I., A.I.R. 1989 S.C. 1029*
50. Oswal Agro Mills Ltd. v. CCE, 1993 Supp (3) SCC 716 222
51. Ashbury Railway Carriage & Iron Co. v. Riche (1875) LR 7 HL 653*
52. Brownsea Havens Properties v. Poole Corpn. (1958) 1 All ER 205*
    
    Topic 3: Internal and External Aids to Interpretation

(a) Short and long titles, preamble, schedules, marginal headings, parts and their
captions, chapters and their captions, marginal and section-headings
(b) Explanations, exceptions, illustrations and provisos
(c) Phrases like ‘notwithstanding…’; ‘without prejudice to the generality of…..’, etc.
(d) Role of Constituent Assembly debates in the interpretation of the Constitution of
India
(e) Legislative history- Legislative Intention, Statement of objects and reasons,
legislative debates, Committee reports, etc.

53. Biswambhar Singh v. State of Orissa, AIR 1954 SC 139:
    1954 SCR 842 229
54. M/s. Hiralal Rattanlal v. State of U.P. (1973) 1 SCC 216 236
55. Manoharlal v. State of Punjab, AIR 1961 SC 418: (1961) 2 SCR 343 244

56. Shashikant Laxman Kale v. Union of India, AIR 1990 SC 2114:
    (1990) 4 SCC 366 247
57. S.R. Chaudhary v. State of Punjab (2001) 7 SCC 126
58. State of Mysore v. R.V. Bidap, AIR 1973 SC 255
    
    
    Topic 4: The Basics of Legislative Drafting
    (a) What is legislative drafting all about?
    (i) Drafting and legislative Counsel
    (ii) Legislative expression
    
    (b) What is legislation?
    (i) Types of legislation
    (ii) Classification of primary legislation (Bills and Acts)
    (iii) Structure and format Bills and Acts
    (iv) Conventional structure of Bills and Acts
    
    (c) Preparation of legislative scheme
    (i) Clear concept of the legislative proposals; Preparation of conceptual outline
    (ii) Check the existing law
    (iii) Importance and preparation of skeleton legislation and legislative scheme
    
    (d) Basic Techniques of Legislative Drafting
    (i) Style
    (ii) Simplicity of Language
    (iii) Over Drafting
    (iv) Vagueness
    
    
    Topic 5: Structure and style in Legislative Drafting

(a) Grammar and punctuation marks
(i) Why is grammar important for drafting?
(ii) What grammatical terms do we need to know?
(iii) What common grammatical mistakes should we watch for?
(iv) How do we punctuate and capitalize

(b) How do we put together the components of legislative sentences?
(i) Principal subject
(ii) Principal predicate
(iii) Predicate modifiers

(c) How should we structure a legislative text?
(i) General considerations
(ii) Drafting sections
(iii) Drafting sentences in sections
(iv) Paragraphing
(v) Numbering
(vi) Ordering and linking sentences in a section
(vii) Linking sections
(viii) Incorporation by reference
(ix) Grouping Section

(d) How should we organize a legislative text?
(i) General considerations
(ii) Preparing an outline
(iii) Factors influencing an outline for a Bill