Interpretation Act 1978

MiscellaneousU.K.

18 Duplicated offences.U.K.

Where an act or omission constitutes an offence under two or more Acts, or both under an Act 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 Acts or at common law, but shall not be liable to be punished more than once for the same offence.

19 Citation of other Acts.U.K.

(1)Where an Act cites another Act by year, statute, session or chapter, or a section or other portion of another Act by number or letter, the reference shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be read as referring—

(a)in the case of Acts included in any revised edition of the statutes printed by authority, to that edition;

(b)in the case of Acts not so included but included in the edition prepared under the direction of the Record Commission, to that edition;

(c)in any other case, to the Acts printed by the Queen’s Printer, or under the superintendence or authority of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

(2)An Act may continue to be cited by the short title authorised by any enactment notwithstanding the repeal of that enactment.

20 References to other enactments [F1etc.].U.K.

(1)Where an Act describes or cites a portion of an enactment by referring to words, sections or other parts from or to which (or from and to which) the portion extends, the portion described or cited includes the words, sections or other parts referred to unless the contrary intention appears.

(2)Where an Act refers to an enactment, the reference, unless the contrary intention appears, is a reference to that enactment as amended, and includes a reference thereto as extended or applied, by or under any other enactment, including any other provision of that Act.

[F2(2A)Where—

(a)an Act passed on or after IP completion day refers to any treaty relating to the EU or any instrument or other document of an EU entity, and

(b)the treaty, instrument of document has effect by virtue of section 7A or 7B of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (general implementation of remainder of EU withdrawal agreement etc.),

the reference, unless the contrary intention appears and so far as required for the purposes of relevant separation agreement law, is a reference to the treaty, instrument or document as it so has effect (including, so far as so required, as it has effect from time to time).]

[F3(3)[F4Subject to subsection (2A), where] an Act passed on or after [F5IP completion day] refers to any EU regulation, EU decision, EU tertiary legislation or provision of the EEA agreement, the reference, unless the contrary intention appears, is a reference to the EU regulation, EU decision, EU tertiary legislation or provision of the EEA agreement as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of section 3 of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 or section 1 of the Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Act 2020.

(4)Subsection (3) does not determine any question as to whether the reference is to be read as a reference to the EU regulation, EU decision, EU tertiary legislation or provision of the EEA agreement as modified by domestic law (and, accordingly, is without prejudice to subsection (2)).

(5)Any expression in [F6subsections (2A) to] (4) which is defined in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 has the same meaning in [F7the subsection concerned] as in that Act.]

[F8(6)In this section, “treaty” includes any international agreement (and any protocol or annex to a treaty or international agreement).]

[F920AReferences to [F10certain] [F11EU instruments]U.K.

Where an Act passed after the commencement of this section refers to a [F12EU instrument] that has been amended, extended or applied by another such instrument, the reference, unless the contrary intention appears, is a reference to that instrument as so amended, extended or applied.]