What Powers do the Judiciary Have to Interpret the Law?
There is a fine line between overstepping bounds of power and counteracting injustice, and statutory interpretation can sometimes rest upon this. Whereas one judge might see it as their duty to interpret the law based on how Parliament assumedly wanted it, another might see this as a breach of power that interferes with the government’s delicate balance. Because of this difficult navigation of ethics, there is a set of rules outlining the powers judges can use in statutory interpretation.
The three main rules of statutory interpretation are as follows; the literal rule, the golden rule, and the mischief rule. All of these rules have been applied in trial after trial and remain fundamental guidelines in the law system, with the mischief rule having been around since the 1500’s.
The literal rule is sometimes called the ordinary or plain meaning rule. This rule states that it is the duty of the court to use words in their literal meaning, even if it may not be sensible. This approach is often taken by orthodox judges who have the firm belief that their constitutional role is to apply the Acts of Parliament, and not modify them. Because of its constant approach, the literal rule has been dominant in the judiciary system for the past 100 years. In a statement by Lord Diplock during the Duport Steel vs. Sirs (1980), the man spoke of literal interpretation. “The courts may sometimes be willing to apply this rule despite the manifest absurdity that may result from the outcome of its application.” This means that for the sake of reliability and simplicity, the court is occasionally willing to use the literal rule under absurd cases. One famous case in which the literal rule was used is Cheeseman vs. DPP (1990). In this particular case, police were called to investigate a disturbance in a public bathroom, and found a man committing a form of public indecency. A law stated that no one may do this on a ‘street,’ where ‘passengers,’ are moving, but as the police were not moving through the area and were on the location for special purposes, the Cheeseman left court victorious. This was thanks to literal rule.
The Golden Rule, which is also called the British Rule, is used in cases where the literal rule might lead to absurdity. This approach gives the judge very limited power substitute a secondary meaning to words in an Act of Parliament. In the case of R vs. Allen, the defendant was charged with bigamy, or infidelity, which is an offense prohibited in the Offences Against Persons Act 1861 reading “whoever is married, marries another commits bigamy.” The court realized that one could not marry twice as it is impossible to get two marriage contracts validated at the same time, but concluded that what this act was alluding to must have been a wedding ceremony. This is a prime example of the golden rule and it’s subtle method of modification.
In the mischief rule, the judge tries to interpret the writer’s intentions with an Act of Parliament using research and aides. This rule considers what the problem was to begin with, and how the court, in this particular case, can solve this instance of it. Often, this rule is used to comply with a changing society in which new things are acceptable or unacceptable. An example of this case being used in reference to social justice is the Mendoza vs. Ghaidan (2004). This case deals with a gay couple, one whom would have been kicked out of the home he was renting were his partner to die because of the wording in a housing law. This was interpreted differently, allowing the man to stay in his home after his partner died.
The Mendoza vs. Ghaidan outcome was also influenced by one other rule of statutory interpretation. This is called the purposive approach, which is used by UK judges when applying and taking into account pieces of EU law. This approach allows judges to alter laws so that they comply with laws of the EU. In the case of Mendoza vs. Ghadan, a piece of EU legislation stated that treating same-sex couples differently than traditional couples are treated is a violation of human rights, and therefore would not be tolerated. To stay in the European Union, the UK must alter their laws to comply with those of the organization, so that they may reap the benefits of protection and unity. Because of this, along with the ethics of the mischief rule, the man was allowed to keep his home even after his partner passed on.