Key term
OCR A-Level Law H418
Civil Courts and Other Forms of Dispute Resolution
Criminal Courts and Lay People
Legal Personnel
Access to Justice
Rules and Theory of Criminal Law
General Elements of Criminal Liability
Fatal Offences Against the Person
Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person
Offences Against Property
Mental Capacity Defences
Preliminary Offences
Evaluation in Criminal Law
Parliamentary Law Making
Delegated Legislation
Statutory Interpretation
Judicial Precedent
European Union Law
Rules and Theory of Tort
Liability in Negligence
Occupiers’ Liability
Torts Connected to Land
Vicarious Liability
Defences
Remedies in Tort
Evaluation in Tort
Introduction to the Nature of Law
Law and Society
Rules and Theory of Human RightsHuman rights
Protection of the Individual’s Human Rights and Freedoms in the UKHuman rights
Key Provisions of the European Convention on Human RightsHuman rights
Human Rights and English LawHuman rights
Enforcement of Human Rights LawHuman rights
Evaluation in Human RightsHuman rights
Rules and Theory of ContractContract
FormationContract
Vitiating FactorsContract
Remedies in ContractContract
Evaluation in ContractContract
Statutory Interpretation
- 4 subtopics
- 13 things to know
- Component 2
What Statutory Interpretation covers
How judges decide what an Act means when its words do not settle the case.
Where it is assessed
Component 2
Law making, Section A of the second paper.
Check the OCR specification ↗The 4 subtopics
Each one has its own page.
- Statutory interpretation and intrinsic aidsRecall questions on what statutory interpretation is and on intrinsic aids, including the short and long titles, preambles, headings and marginal notes, interpretation sections, schedules and punctuation.Open →
- The literal, golden and mischief rulesRecall questions on the literal, golden and mischief rules, the narrow and wide golden rule, Heydon's Case, and how each was applied in cases such as Whiteley v Chappell, Fisher v Bell, Adler v George and Smith v Hughes.Open →
- The purposive approach and evaluating statutory interpretationRecall questions on the purposive approach in Magor and St Mellons and Quintavalle, Pepper v Hart, the effect of EU membership and of leaving the EU, and the advantages and disadvantages of each rule and approach.Open →
- Extrinsic aids and the Human Rights Act 1998Recall questions on extrinsic aids, including previous Acts, dictionaries, the Interpretation Act 1978, Law Commission reports, treaties and textbooks, Hansard under Pepper v Hart, and interpretation under sections 2 and 3 of the Human Rights Act 1998 and Ghaidan v Godin-Mendoza.Open →
What you need to know
Answer each one before you reveal it.
Your recallNot started
Key term
What is Hansard and what case established when it may be consulted?
Key term
What interpretive obligation does the Human Rights Act 1998 impose on courts?
Key term
What are extrinsic aids in statutory interpretation?
Key term
What has been the traditional judicial attitude towards relying on punctuation in statutes?
Key term
Why might judges consult previous Acts on the same subject matter?
Key term
What is statutory interpretation?
Process
How did the literal rule produce a harsh result in London and North Eastern Railway v Berriman (1946)?
Process
How was the literal rule applied in Whiteley v Chappell (1868)?
Process
What four questions did Heydon's Case (1584) tell judges to ask?
Process
What did Lord Denning say about the judge's role in Magor and St Mellons RDC v Newport Corporation (1950), and how did the House of Lords respond?
Key term
What are two advantages of the mischief rule?
Process
How did Pepper v Hart (1993) support the purposive approach?
Take Statutory Interpretation further
The same content, four other ways.
Questions from this topic
Each one with the model answer underneath.
- 1
What is statutory interpretation?
Model answer
The process by which judges determine the meaning of words and phrases in legislation when their application to a case is unclear.
- 2
What are intrinsic aids in the context of statutory interpretation?
Model answer
Tools found within the statute itself that help judges interpret its meaning.
- 3
Why does the short title of an Act provide limited interpretive assistance?
Model answer
Because it merely provides a brief name for the Act rather than indicating its purpose or scope.
- 4
What interpretive value do headings and marginal notes have in statutes?
Model answer
They can indicate the subject matter of sections, though courts traditionally gave them limited weight.
- 5
How does the long title of an Act assist judges in interpretation?
Model answer
It states the general purpose of the Act and can guide interpretation of ambiguous provisions.
- 6
What function does a preamble serve in statutory interpretation?
Model answer
It sets out the reasons for passing the Act and can indicate parliamentary intention.
What is inside Levo
Six ways to work the same material.
Statutory Interpretation revision questions
- What does Statutory Interpretation cover in OCR A-Level Law?
- 4 subtopics: statutory interpretation and intrinsic aids, the literal, golden and mischief rules, the purposive approach and evaluating statutory interpretation and extrinsic aids and the human rights act 1998. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.
- How is Statutory Interpretation organised?
- By the OCR H418 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.
Every question in Statutory Interpretation, on a schedule.
Attempt a question from memory, write the correct version, then attempt it again. Levo records the jump between your first attempt and your last, and brings each question back on the day you are due to forget it.
Or £46 a year, about £3.83 a month. Cancel anytime.