Interpretation Act 1978

Interpretation Act 1978[1]
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to consolidate the Interpretation Act 1889 and certain other enactments relating to the construction and operation of Acts of Parliament and other instruments, with amendments to give effect to recommendations of the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission.
Citation1978 c. 30
Dates
Royal assent20 July 1978
Commencement1 January 1979[2]
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Interpretation Act 1978 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The Interpretation Act 1978[1] (c. 30) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Act makes provision for the interpretation of Acts of Parliament,[3] Measures of the General Synod of the Church of England, Measures of the Church Assembly,[4] subordinate legislation,[5] "deeds and other instruments and documents",[6] Acts of the Scottish Parliament and instruments made thereunder (added 1998),[7] and Measures and Acts of the National Assembly for Wales and instruments made thereunder.[8] The Act makes provision in relation to: the construction of certain words and phrases, words of enactment, amendment or repeal of Acts in the Session they were passed, judicial notice, commencement, statutory powers and duties, the effect of repeals, and duplicated offences.

The Act repealed the whole of the Interpretation Act 1889, except for sections 13(4) and 13(5) and 13(14) in their application to Northern Ireland.[9]

The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954[10] applies in the same way to Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland or Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

The Interpretation Act 1978 applies to itself and to any Act passed after the commencement of the Act (section 22) and, to the extent specified in Part I of Schedule 2, to Acts passed before the commencement of the Act.

The Interpretation Act 1978 binds the Crown.[11]

  1. ^ a b The citation of this Act by this short title is authorised by section 27 of this Act.
  2. ^ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 26.
  3. ^ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 22(1)
  4. ^ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 22(3)
  5. ^ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 23(1)
  6. ^ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 23(3)
  7. ^ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 23A
  8. ^ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 23B
  9. ^ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 25 and Schedule 3
  10. ^ The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954
  11. ^ The Interpretation Act 1978, section 21(2)