Introduction

In this week you explore how legislation is interpreted and applied. Legislation is one of the main sources of law in Scotland. You consider why the need for interpretation arises and how the courts interpret the meaning of words over which a dispute arises. Although the meaning of law in legislation should be clear and explicit, this is not always achieved.

After studying this week, you should be able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of how legislation is interpreted
• apply sections of legislation to solve a problem
• understand why (and by whom) legislation may be interpreted.