Interpretation Act, 1937
In short
This law, the Interpretation Act, 1937, sets out general rules for how other laws (Acts of the Oireachtas) and related legal documents should be written, understood, and put into effect. It aims to provide clarity and consistency in legal language and procedures.
What it regulates
- The structure and format of Acts of the Oireachtas.
- How Acts of the Oireachtas and their parts are to be referred to or cited.
- When Acts of the Oireachtas and instruments made under them come into operation.
- General rules for interpreting specific words and expressions used in laws.
Who it concerns
- Anyone involved in drafting, interpreting, or applying Acts of the Oireachtas and statutory instruments.
- The Oireachtas (the Irish Parliament) and the President regarding the passing and endorsement of Acts.
Key points
- Every Act of the Oireachtas is a public document and is divided into consecutively numbered sections, which may be grouped into Parts or Chapters.
- Acts can be cited by their short title or by their calendar year and consecutive number.
- The date an Act is passed is the day the President signs the Bill, and this date is endorsed on the Act.
- Unless stated otherwise, an Act's enactments are in operation from the end of the day before its passing date.
- Words importing the singular also import the plural, and vice versa, unless a contrary intention appears.
- Words importing the masculine gender also import the feminine gender, unless a contrary intention appears.
- The word "person" includes corporate bodies and unincorporated bodies of persons, as well as individuals, unless a contrary intention appears.
- References to time are generally to Greenwich mean time, subject to any enactment changing the time in Ireland.
Legal text
Interpretation Act, 1937 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.
- ie)Translations (Houses of the Oireachtas) Government Publications for Sale EU Law (EUR-Lex) FAQ Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Search Baile Reachtaíocht Achtanna an Oireachtais Ionstraimí Reachtúla Reachtaíocht Réamh-1922 Bunreacht Acmhainní Seachtracha Billí (Tithe an Oireachtais) Iris Oifigiúil Achtanna Athbhreithnithe (CAD) (An Coimisiún um Athchóiriú an Dlí) Liosta Rangaithe Reachtaíochta Aistriúcháin (achtanna.
- ie)Aistriúcháin (Tithe an Oireachtais) Foilseacháin Rialtais ar Díol Dlí AE (EUR-Lex) CCanna (Ceisteanna Coitianta) Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach Cuardach TitleTeideal Year(
- s)or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 1937 Interpretation Act, 1937 Interpretation Act, 1937 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 38 of 1937. INTERPRETATION ACT, 1937. ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS PART I Preliminary and General Section 1. Short title. 2. Commencement. 3. Definitions. 4. Application to certain Acts of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Eireann. 5. Non-application of the Interpretation Act, 1923. PART II Form, Citation, and Operation of Acts of the Oireachtas 6. Form of Acts of the Oireachtas. 7. Citation of Acts of the Oireachtas. 8. Date of passing of Acts of the Oireachtas. 9. Commencement of Acts and instruments. 10. Exercise of statutory powers before commencement of the Act. PART III Meaning and Construction of Particular Words and Expressions 11. Certain general rules of construction. 12. Interpretation of the expressions and words in the Schedule. 13. Construction of certain statutory instruments. 14. Offences under two or more laws. PART IV Statutory Powers and Duties 15. Construction and exercise of statutory powers. 16. Construction and performance of statutory duties. 17. Rules of Court. 18. Service by post. PART V Effect of Repeals and Revocations 19. Date of operation of repeals and revocations. 20. Construction of references to repealed statutes and revoked instruments. 21. Operation of repeals, cessers, and terminations of statutes. 22. Operation of revocations, cessers and terminations of statutory instruments. SCHEDULE Act Referred to Interpretation Act, 1923 No. 46 of 1923 Number 38 of 1937. INTERPRETATION ACT, 1937. AN ACT TO MAKE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE CONSTITUTION OF IRELAND LATELY ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE, DIVERS PROVISIONS IN RELATION TO THE FORM, OPERATION, AND INTERPRETATION OF ACTS OF THE OIREACHTAS AND OF INSTRUMENTS MADE UNDER SUCH ACTS. [8th December, 1937.] BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS OF SAORSTÁT EIREANN AS FOLLOWS:— PART I. Preliminary and General. Short title. 1.—This Act may be cited as the Interpretation Act, 1937. Commencement. 2.—This Act shall come into operation immediately after the coming into operation of the Constitution of Ireland lately enacted by the People. Definitions. 3.—In this Act— the word “statute” includes (in addition to Acts of the Oireachtas) Acts of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Eireann, Acts of the Parliament of the former United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Acts of a Parliament sitting in Ireland at any time before the coming into force of the Union with Ireland Act, 1800; the word “instrument” means an order, regulation, rule, bye-law, warrant, licence, certificate, or other like document; the expression “statutory instrument” means an instrument made, issued, or granted under a power or authority conferred by statute; references to instruments made wholly or partly under an Act of the Oireachtas shall be construed as referring to instruments made, issued, or granted under a power or authority conferred by an Act of the Oireachtas or conferred by the joint operation of an Act of the Oireachtas and some other statute. Application to certain Acts of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Eireann. 4.—Save as is otherwise expressly provided by this Act, every provision of this Act which relates to Acts of the Oireachtas shall apply and have effect in relation to this Act and every other Act of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Eireann (whether passed before or after this Act) which is expressed to come into operation immediately after the coming into operation of the Constitution, and accordingly this Act and every such other Act shall, for the purpose of such application but no further or otherwise, be deemed to be an Act of the Oireachtas and (save as is otherwise expressly provided by this Act) the expression “Act of the Oireachtas” shall in this Act be construed and have effect as including this Act and every such other Act of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Eireann. Non-application of the Interpretation Act, 1923 . 5.—
- a)if the day on which such Act or such enactment (as the case may
- be)comes into operation is to be fixed or ascertained in any particular manner, the instrument, act, or thing whereby such day is fixed or ascertained may, subject to any restrictions imposed by such Act, be made or done at any time after the passing of such Act; (
- b)if such Act confers a power to make or do, for the purposes of such Act or such enactment (as the case may be), any instrument, act, or thing the making or doing of which is necessary or expedient to enable such Act or enactment to have full force and effect immediately upon its coming into operation, such power may, subject to any restrictions imposed by such Act, be exercised at any time after the passing of such Act.
- a)Singular and plural. Every word importing the singular shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as if it also imported the plural, and every word importing the plural shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as if it also imported the singular; (
- b)Masculine and feminine. Every word importing the masculine gender shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as if it also imported the feminine gender; (
- c)Person. The word “person” shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as importing a body corporate (whether a corporation aggregate or a corporation sole) and an unincorporated body of persons as well as an individual; (
- d)Time. Every word or expression relating to time and every reference to a point of time shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as relating or referring to Greenwich mean time, but subject to the provisions of any enactment whereunder the time in Ireland differs from Greenwich mean time during a specified period; (
- e)Distance. Every word or expression relating to the distance between two points and every reference to the distance from or to a point shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as relating or referring to such distance measured in a straight line on a horizontal plane; (
- f)Citations. Every description of or citation from any statute, instrument, or other document shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as including the word, sub-section, section, or other portion mentioned or referred to as forming the beginning or as forming the end of the portion comprised in the description or citation or as being the point from which or to which such portion extends; (
- g)Marginal notes. No marginal note placed at the side of any section or provision to indicate the subject, contents, or effect of such section or provision and no heading or cross-line placed at the head or beginning of a Part, section or provision or a group of sections or provisions to indicate the subject, contents, or effect of such Part, section, provision, or group shall be taken to be part of the Act or instrument or be considered or judicially noticed in relation to the construction or interpretation of the Act or instrument or any portion thereof; (
- h)Periods of time. Where a period of time is expressed to begin on or be reckoned from a particular day, that day shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be deemed to be included in such period, and, where a period of time is expressed to end on or be reckoned to a particular day, that day shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be deemed to be included in such period; (
- i)Offences by corporations. References to a person in relation to an offence (whether punishable on indictment or on summary conviction) shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed as including references to a body corporate. Interpretation of the expressions and words in the Schedule. 12.—In every Act of the Oireachtas and every instrument made wholly or partly under any such Act, every word and every expression to which a particular meaning, construction, or effect is assigned in the Schedule to this Act shall, unless the contrary intention appears, have the meaning, construction, or effect so assigned to it. Construction of certain statutory instruments. 13.—Every expression and every word used in an instrument made wholly or partly under an Act of the Oireachtas shall, unless the contrary intention appears, have in such instrument the same meaning as it has in the Act or Acts under which such instrument is made. Offences under two or more laws. 14.—Where any act, whether of commission or omission, constitutes an offence under two or more statutes or under a statute and at common law, the offender shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be liable to be prosecuted and punished under either or any of those statutes or at common law, but shall not be liable to be punished twice for the same offence. PART IV. Statutory Powers and Duties. Construction and exercise of statutory powers. 15.—
- a)revive anything not in force or not existing immediately before such repeal takes effect, or (
- b)affect the previous operation of the statute or portion of a statute so repealed or anything duly done or suffered thereunder, or (
- c)affect any right, privilege, obligation, or liability acquired, accrued, or incurred under the statute or portion of a statute so repealed, or (
- d)affect any penalty, forfeiture, or punishment incurred in respect of any offence against or contravention of the statute or portion of a statute so repealed which was committed before such repeal, or (
- e)prejudice or affect any legal proceedings, civil or criminal, pending at the time of such repeal in respect of any such right, privilege, obligation, liability, offence, or contravention as aforesaid.
- a)revive anything not in force or not existing immediately before such revocation takes effect, or (
- b)affect the previous operation of the statutory instrument or portion of a statutory instrument so revoked or anything duly done or suffered thereunder, or (
- c)affect any right, privilege, obligation, or liability acquired, accrued, or incurred under the statutory instrument or portion of a statutory instrument so revoked, or (
- d)affect any penalty, forfeiture, or punishment incurred in respect of any offence against or contravention of the statutory instrument or portion of a statutory instrument so revoked which was committed before such revocation, or (
- e)prejudice or affect any legal proceedings, civil or criminal, pending at the time of such revocation in respect of any such right, privilege, obligation, liability, offence, or contravention as aforesaid.
- Dáil Eireann. 8.—The expression “Dáil Eireann” means the House of the Oireachtas to which that name is given by section 1 of Article 15 of the Constitution. District Court. 9.—The expression “the District Court” means the District Court of Justice as established and for the time being maintained by law. Financial year. 10.—The expression “financial year” means a period of twelve months ending on the 31st day of the month of March in any year. Government. 11.—The expression “the Government” means the Government mentioned in Article 28 of the Constitution. Great Britain. 12.—The expression “Great Britain” does not include the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. High Court. 13.—The expression “the High Court” means the High Court of Justice established and for the time being maintained by law in pursuance of Article 34 of the Constitution. Land. 14.—The word “land” includes messuages, tenements, and hereditaments, houses and buildings, of any tenure. Lands Clauses Acts. 15.—The expression “the Lands Clauses Acts” means the Lands Clauses Consolidation Act, 1845, the Lands Clauses Consolidation Acts Amendment Act, 1860, the Railways Act (Ireland), 1851, the Railways Act (Ireland), 1860, the Railways Act (Ireland), 1864, the Railways Traverse Act, the Acquisition of Land (Assessment of Compensation) Act, 1919, and every statute for the time being in force amending those Acts or any of them. Local financial year. 16.—The expression “local financial year” means a period of twelve months ending on the 31st day of the month of March in any year. Midnight. 17.—The word “midnight” means, in relation to any particular day, the point of time at which such day ends. Minister of State. 18.—The expression “Minister of State” means a member of the Government having charge of a Department of State. Month. 19.—The word “month” means a calendar month. Oath. 20.—The word “oath”, in the case of persons for the time being allowed by law to affirm instead of swearing, includes affirmation. Oireachtas. 21.—The expression “the Oireachtas” means the National Parliament provided for by Article 15 of the Constitution. Ordnance Map. 22.—The expression “ordnance map” means a map made under the powers conferred by the Survey (Ireland) Acts, 1825 to 1870, and the statutes for the time being in force amending those Acts or any of them. President. 23.—The expression “the President” means the President of Ireland and includes any commission or other body or authority for the time being lawfully exercising the powers and performing the duties of the President. Pre-union Irish Statute. 24.—The expression “pre-union Irish statute” means an Act passed by a Parliament sitting in Ireland at any time before the coming into force of the Union with Ireland Act,
- Rateable valuation. 25.—The expression “rateable valuation” means the valuation under the Valuation Acts of the property in relation to which the expression is used. Rules of court. 26.—The expression “rules of court” means rules made by the authority for the time being having power to make rules regulating the practice and procedure of the court in relation to which the expression is used. Saorstát Eireann statute. 27.—The expression “Saorstát Eireann statute” means an Act of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Eireann. Seanad Eireann. 28.—The expression “Seanad Eireann” means the House of the Oireachtas to which that name is given by section 1 of Article 15 of the Constitution. Statutory declaration. 29.—The expression “statutory declaration” means a declaration made by virtue of the Statutory Declarations Act,
- Supreme Court. 30.—The expression “the Supreme Court” means the Supreme Court of Justice as established and for the time being maintained by law in pursuance of Article 34 of the Constitution. Swear. 31.—The word “swear”, in the case of persons for the time being allowed by law to affirm or declare instead of swearing, includes affirm and declare. Town. 32.—The word “town” means the area comprised in a town (not being an urban district) in which the Towns Improvement (Ireland) Act, 1854, is in operation. Valuation Acts. 33.—The expression “Valuation Acts” means the Acts for the time being in force relating to the valuation of rateable property. Week. 34.—The word “week”, when used without qualification, means the period between midnight on any Saturday and midnight on the next following Saturday. Week-day. 35.—The word “week-day” means a day which is not a Sunday. Writing. 36.—The word “writing” includes printing, type-writing, lithograpy, photography, and other modes of representing or reproducing words in visible form, and cognate words shall be construed accordingly. Year. 37.—The word “year”, when used without qualification, means a period of twelve months beginning on the 1st day of the month of January in any year. Privacy Statement Accessibility European Legislation Identifier (PDF) Open Data License Ráiteas Príobháideachais Inrochtaineacht Aitheantóir Eorpach Reachtaíochta (ELI) Ceadúnas Sonraí Oscailte Liosta Fianán © Government of Ireland. Oireachtas Copyright Material is reproduced with the permission of the Houses of the Oireachtas © Rialtas na hÉireann. Atáirgtear ábhar faoi Chóipcheart le cead ó Thithe an Oireachtais