INTERPRETATION ACT 1984

INTERPRETATION ACT 1984

TABLE OF PROVISIONS

           Long Title

   PART I -- Preliminary  

   1.      Short title
            
   2.      Commencement
            
   3.      Application
            
   4.      Act binds Crown

   PART II -- General interpretation provisions  

   5.      Terms used in written laws
            
   6.      Definitions in a written law, application of
            
   7.      Written laws to be construed subject to State’s legislative power
            
   8.      Written laws always speaking
            
   9.      Parts of speech and grammatical forms
            
   10.     Gender and number
            
   11.     Sovereign, references to
            
   12.     Minister, references to
            
   13.     British subject etc., references to
            
   13A.    De facto relationship and de facto partner, references to
            
   13B.    Standards Association of Australia, references to
            
   13CA.   Local government districts, references to
            
   13C.    When death of a person occurs
            
   13D.    Bankrupt and related expressions, references to
            
   14.     References to 2 or more provisions to be inclusive
            
   15.     Internal references in written laws, construction of
            
   15A.    Reference to paragraph
            
   16.     Reference to written law is to written law as amended
            
   17.     Disjunctive construction of “or”
            
   18.     Purpose or object of written law, use of in interpretation
            
   19.     Extrinsic material, use of in interpretation

   PART III -- Commencement and citation  

   20.     Commencement of Acts
            
   21.     Time of commencement of written laws
            
   22.     Act commencing on proclamation, commencement of certain provisions of
            
   23.     Proclamation of commencement of Act, construction of power to make
            
   25.     Some powers in Act may be exercised before it commences
            
   26.     Citation of written laws
            
   27.     References to commencement of written law if different provisions commence on different days

   PART IV -- Provisions as to enactment and operation of written law  

   28.     Acts deemed public Acts
            
   29.     Sections to be substantive enactments
            
   30.     Act may be amended in same session
            
   31.     Preambles, schedules etc. to form part of written law
            
   32.     Headings, marginal notes and footnotes

   PART V -- Repeal of written law  

   33.     Repeal of written law includes repeal of amendments
            
   34.     Repeal of repealing enactment, effect of
            
   35.     Repeal and substitution of provision, effect of
            
   36.     Repealing and re-enacting a provision, effect of
            
   37.     General savings on repeal
            
   38.     Repeal of Act, effect of on subsidiary legislation
            
   39.     Expiry of enactment, effect of

   PART VI -- Subsidiary legislation  

   40.     Governor to make subsidiary legislation
            
   41.     Publication and commencement of subsidiary legislation
            
   42.     Laying regulations, rules, local laws and by-laws before Parliament, and disallowance
            
   43.     Power to make subsidiary legislation, general provisions about
            
   44.     Words and expressions in subsidiary legislation, meaning of
            
   45.     Fees and charges
            
   45A.    Fees for licences, effect of power to prescribe
            
   46.     Reference to written law includes reference to subsidiary legislation made under it
            
   47.     Acts done under subsidiary legislation deemed done under Act

   PART VII -- Statutory powers and duties  

   48.     Time for exercise of power or performance of duty
            
   48A.    Judicial acts and service of process may be done on any day
            
   49.     Public officer’s powers and duties may be exercised by acting officer etc.
            
   50.     Statutory powers, construction of
            
   51.     Power to issue licences and other authorisations is discretionary
            
   52.     Power to appoint includes power to remove, suspend, appoint acting officer etc.
            
   53.     Appointments may be by name or office
            
   54.     Statutory bodies, majority and quorum provisions
            
   55.     Errors when exercising certain powers or duties may be corrected
            
   56.     “May” imports a discretion, “shall” is imperative
            
   57.     Statutory bodies, powers of not affected by vacancies etc.
            
   58.     Delegates, performance of functions by
            
   59.     Power to delegate, effect of
            
   60.     Governor to act with advice of Executive Council

   PART VIII -- Provisions regarding time and distance  

   61.     Time, computation of
            
   62.     Months, reckoning of
            
   63.     Time for doing acts if no time fixed
            
   64.     Power to extend time, construction of
            
   65.     Distance, measurement of

   PART IX -- Procedures and penalties  

   66.     Rules of court
            
   67.     Offences and proceedings for offences
            
   69.     Bodies corporate, application of penal laws to
            
   71.     Continuing offences
            
   72.     Statutory penalties, construction of

   PART X -- Miscellaneous provisions  

   73.     State deemed established 1 June 1829
            
   74.     Prescribed forms, certain deviations do not invalidate
            
   75.     Service of documents by post
            
   76.     Service of documents generally
            
   76A.    Written laws made before Australia Acts, validity of
            
   77.     Repeal and saving
            
           Other notes
           Defined terms