Warning

Info

Warning

Info

Warning

Info

LSDefine

Simple English definitions for legal terms

statutory interpretation

Read a random definition: laron

A quick definition of statutory interpretation:

Statutory interpretation is when judges try to understand and apply the laws that are written by lawmakers. Sometimes the words in the laws are easy to understand, but other times they can be confusing. Judges use different methods to figure out what the laws mean, like looking at the words themselves, the history of the law, and how it has been used in the past. There are different ways that judges can interpret laws, but they all use similar tools to help them understand what the laws mean.

A more thorough explanation:

Statutory interpretation is the process where courts interpret and apply legislation. This means that judges have to figure out what a law means and how it should be applied in specific situations. Sometimes the words of a law are clear, but other times there may be some level of ambiguity that needs to be resolved by a judge.

To find the true meaning of a law, judges use various tools of statutory interpretation. These tools include:

  • Looking at the ordinary meaning of the words in the law
  • Examining the broader context of the law
  • Using guides and presumptions about how courts ordinarily read laws
  • Considering the legislative history of the law
  • Looking at how the law has been implemented in practice

In the United States, there are two main theories of statutory interpretation: purposivism and textualism. Purposivists believe that judges should interpret laws in a way that furthers the purpose of the law, while textualists believe that judges should interpret laws based solely on the text of the law itself.

For example, let's say there is a law that says "No vehicles allowed in the park." A judge may need to interpret this law if someone is caught riding a bike in the park. The judge would need to decide whether a bike is considered a "vehicle" under the law. They might look at the ordinary meaning of the word "vehicle" and decide that a bike is indeed a vehicle. They might also look at the broader context of the law to see if there are any exceptions or other rules that apply. Finally, they might consider how the law has been applied in similar cases in the past.

statutory damages | Statutory lien

Warning

Info

General

General chat about the legal profession.
main_chatroom
👍 Chat vibe: 0 👎
Help us make LSD better!
Tell us what's important to you
MIAMI A
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:55
How does one know if they are UR1 or UR2?
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:56
CONGRATS MACAQUE!
TY
got a random stanford email and almost had a heart attack
ALSO CONGRATS!
Congrats1!
21:15
Miami A, yall I'm so excited I could cry.
21:15
Feel like I can finally stop holding my breath!! Whew!!!
[] baddestbunny
22:16
every time I get accosted by a strange man who follows me around because my male coworkers were too busy talking to walk me back to my car I get closer to saying we need to bring back traditional gender roles
Dkk
22:32
Nice! @Macaque
Dkk
22:32
@Aromatic, Have to guess.
Dkk
22:33
That sucks @Bunny do you have to go to the hospital?
[] baddestbunny
22:40
I said accosted not assaulted
23:35
guys. my notre dame address just went long is this good or bad
1a2b3c4d26z
23:37
Oooooo me too
23:37
omg is this good or bad
Dkk
23:47
Idk if gender roles are gunna fix that then.
23:49
it looks like most people who applied in october last cycle didn't get a decision until january... does it even mean anything that our addresses went long??
hows ED 2 compared to ED 1?
Dkk
0:10
No idea
windyMagician
0:34
reporting live to say my ndls address also went long
does it mean anything ^
Dkk
2:21
NDLS and Fordham took a very long time last year. It's good info for people to know.
[] baddestbunny
4:29
let’s get after it boys and girls
Dkk
5:21
I gtg to bed soon.
Dkk
5:22
Big day today. Gunna be a crazy one. I will sleep through the first half.
good morning lsd it is 5 am EST
also jazzy my ndls address went long ages ago i sadly do not think it means anything
my stanford address also went long LOL i think at most it's an indicator it's under review
LSD+ is ad-free, with DMs, discounts, case briefs & more.