Statutory interpretation is a fundamental skill for any judicial officer. Enhance your ability to interpret statutes, so you can navigate ambiguous language and balance conflicting principles.
‘The starting point for the ascertainment of the meaning of a statutory provision is the text of the statute whilst, at the same time, regard is had to its context and purpose.’
SZTAL v Minister for Immigration and Border Protection (2017) 262 CLR 362, [14] (Kiefel CJ, Nettle and Gordon JJ)
Statutory interpretation requires judicial officers to grapple with the primacy of language as well as its indeterminacy and ambiguity when applied to specific factual situations. While maxims, rules, principles and even statutes to guide interpretation abound, they often pull in different directions. There can be respectable arguments on both sides in cases coming before courts and VCAT.
This seminar offers an engaging refresher for you to enhance your essential statutory interpretation skills.