First, a stoic guardian appeared: . He stood before the gate of the statute. "My Lord," the guardian said. "The primary rule is the Literal Rule . We must look at the plain, grammatical meaning of the words. If the words are clear—'being a human'—we cannot alter them, even if the result is absurd. The intention of the legislature is found in the text."
Increasingly adopted by the Supreme Court, this rule allows a court to look at the "mischief" or defect that the statute was intended to remedy. The book's fourteenth edition captures and analyzes this shift in the Supreme Court's decisions from the earlier tradition of literal interpretation to a more purposive interpretation of statutes, reflecting a deeper engagement with legislative intent. principles of statutory interpretation gp singh
The express mention of one thing implies the exclusion of another. If a law explicitly lists specific items, items not listed are presumed to be excluded. First, a stoic guardian appeared: