Simple English definitions for legal terms
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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.
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:
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.