This completely revised and updated edition reviews the theories and principles of statutory interpretation from the current appellate courts2 point of view. It continues the last edition2s systematic account and illustration of the rules, presumptions and techniques of statutory interpretation currently relied on by Canadian courts.

The book's primary focus is on the techniques and reasoning used by lawyers and judges to resolve interpretation problems. The book deciphers the often confusing rules of interpretation, explains the way these rules relate to each other, and focuses on the strategic use of the rules in constructing arguments and justifying outcomes.

This Canadian textbook for both students and practitioners explains the principles governing the interpretation of statutes, how to resolve ambiguities, clarify obscurities and remove disharmonies. It does this by close examination of judicial decisions and sheds light on the process of reasoning used by the courts in arriving at their decisions.

This book deciphers the often confusing and contradictory rules for interpreting legal documents and explains the way these rules relate to each other. The book goes beyond the content of the rules and focuses on their strategic use in constructing arguments and justifying outcomes.