ACCA LW ^Eng Syllabus A. Essential Elements Of The Legal System - Canons of Statutory Interpretation - Notes ^{4 / 7}

So we know that parliament makes (or delegates) law - but its the court that has to interpret this law and this section shows the help the court is given in order to do this:

The Canons

These are items that courts can presume (although they can be rebutted)

• Common Law has not been altered

• There's been no back dating of statute

• Crown is not bound

• No strict liability - ie not liable if you didn't mean to commit an offence

• Ejusdem Generis - basically means other such things.. This canon is saying if you have a specific example and then the act says "and other such things" then the things are related to the specific example

  This is shown in the Powell v Kempton Park Case