Legislation

Although parliamentarians write legislation in language that they believe is clear and straightforward, this is often not the case when the legislation is taken into the ‘real world’. 

Courts have a significant role in interpreting the meaning of words and phrases in the legislation and in determining the application of the legislation in disputes. Determining the meaning of statutes and the intent of legislators by a court is known as ‘statutes judicially considered’ or 'legislation judicially considered’.

For more about courts and judicial consideration, see our Case Law guide: