Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. How an act of Parliament is made -- 2. The special rules for understanding acts of Parliament -- 3. The elements of an act of Parliament -- 4. The coat of arms and the regnal year -- 5. The number of the act -- 6. The long title of the act -- 7. The enacting words -- 8. The short title -- 9. When an act comes into force -- 10. The preamble -- 11. The statement of principle in an act -- 12. Sections, subsections and paragraphs -- 13. Parts and divisions -- 14. Headings -- 15. Marginal notes -- 16. Definitions -- 17. Schedules -- 18. Provisos -- 19. Punctuation -- 20. The meaning of words not defined in the act -- 21. The difference between the general rules and the specific rules -- 22. The plain meaning rule -- 23. Manifest absurdity and injustice are to be avoided -- 24. The mischief rule -- 25. The purpose of the act of Parliament -- 26. Hansard -- 27. Using other material from outside an act to understand the meaning of that act -- 28. The act must be read as a whole -- 29. Effect must be given to the whole act -- 30. Omissions from the act -- 31. Mistakes in an act of Parliament -- 32. The class rule -- 33. Words of similar meaning -- 34. Express inclusions and implied exclusions -- 35. Interpreting an act in the light of other acts -- 36. Acts inconsistent with each other -- 37. Nine classes of acts of Parliament -- 38. Acts which are read narrowly -- 39. Acts that apply from before the date on which they were passed -- 40. The area in which an act of Parliament operates -- 41. How acts of Parliament affect the crown -- 42. How judicial decisions affect the reading of an act -- 43. Subordinate legislation -- 44. International treaties and conventions -- 45. The European law approach -- 46. European principles -- 47. European construction -- 48. Aids to construction -- 49. Now read on.

Also available in print edition.

Electronic reproduction. [London, Eng. : Taylor and Francis, 2012]. PDF file created from digital scan of print book.