LEGISLATION ACT 2001 - SECT 140 Legislative context

LEGISLATION ACT 2001 - SECT 140

In working out the meaning of an Act, the provisions of the Act must be read in the context of the Act as a whole.

Examples

1     The long title of an Act provides that it is an Act to give certain benefits to the holders of pensioner cards. Section 4 provides ‘This Act applies to a holder of a pensioner card'. Section 22 provides that the commissioner may grant ‘a person' an exemption from payment of rates. The Act does not contain a definition of ‘person'. Section 22 must be read in the context of the Act as a whole so that the commissioner may only grant exemptions to people who are holders of pensioner cards.

2     The Drug Testing Regulation 2001 (made under the Drug Testing Act 2000 (hypothetical)), s 6 contains the following heading:

6     Corresponding law—Act, s 100, def "corresponding law"

The heading indicates that the section has been made for the definition of corresponding law in the Drug Testing Act 2000 , s 100.

3     Section 12 (1) of a subordinate law refers to ‘a non-conviction order under the Crimes (Sentencing) Act 2005

'. No other kind of order is mentioned in the section and the word ‘order' is not otherwise defined in the subordinate law. Subsections (2), (4), (7) and (9) of the same section, which only refer to ‘the order', are to be understood as referring to the order mentioned in s (1).

Note     See s 126 and s 127 for material that is, or is not, part of an Act or statutory instrument.