Interpretation Act 1978

Supplementary

21Interpretation etc.

(1)In this Act " Act" includes a local and personal or private Act; and "subordinate legislation" means Orders in Council, orders, rules, regulations, schemes, warrants, byelaws and other instruments made or to be made under any Act.

(2)This Act binds the Crown.

22Application to Acts and Measures

(1)This Act applies to itself, to any Act passed after the commencement of this Act and, to the extent specified in Part I of Schedule 2, to Acts passed before the commencement of this Act.

(2)In any of the foregoing provisions of this Act a reference to an Act is a reference to an Act to which that provision applies; but this does not affect the generality of references to enactments or of the references in section 19(1) to other Acts.

(3)This Act applies to Measures of the General Synod of die Church of England (and, so far as it relates to Acts passed before the commencement of this Act, to Measures of the Church Assembly passed after 28th May 1925) as it applies to Acts.

23Application to other instruments

(1)The provisions of this Act, except sections 1 to 3 and 4(b), apply, so far as applicable and unless the contrary intention appears, to subordinate legislation made after the commencement of this Act and, to the extent specified in Part II of Schedule 2, to subordinate legislation made before the commencement of this Act, as they apply to Acts.

(2)In the application of this Act to Acts passed or subordinate legislation made after the commencement of this Act, all references to an enactment include an enactment comprised in subordinate legislation whenever made, and references to the passing or repeal of an enactment are to be construed accordingly.

(3)Sections 9 and 19(1) also apply to deeds and other instruments and documents as they apply to Acts and subordinate legislation; and in the application of section 17(2)(a) to Acts passed or subordinate legislation made after the commencement of this Act, the reference to any other enactment includes any deed or other instrument or document.

(4)Subsections (1) and (2) of this section do not apply to Orders in Council made under section 5 of the [1946 c. 36.] Statutory Instruments Act 1946, section 1(3) of the [1972 c. 22.] Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972 or Schedule 1 to the [1974 c. 28.] Northern Ireland Act 1974.

24Application to Northern Ireland

(1)This Act extends to Northern Ireland so far as it applies to Acts or subordinate legislation which so extend.

(2)In the application of this Act to Acts passed or subordinate legislation made after the commencement of this Act, all references to an enactment include an enactment comprised in Northern Ireland legislation whenever passed or made; and in relation to such legislation references to the passing or repeal of an enactment include the making or revocation of an Order in Council.

(3)In the application of section 14 to Acts passed after the commencement of this Act which extend to Northern Ireland, " statutory instrument " includes statutory rule for the purposes of the [1958 c. 18 (N.I.).] Statutory Rules Act (Northern Ireland) 1958.

(4)The following definitions contained in Schedule 1, namely those of—

• British subject and Commonwealth citizen;

• The Communities and related expressions;

• The Corporation Tax Acts ;

• The Income Tax Acts ;

• The Tax Acts,

apply, unless the contrary intention appears, to Northern Ireland legislation as they apply to Acts.

(5)In this section " Northern Ireland legislation " means—

(a)Acts of the Parliament of Ireland;

(b)Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland;

(c)Orders in Council under section 1(3) of the Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1972;

(d)Measures of the Northern Ireland Assembly; and

(e)Orders in Council under Schedule 1 to the [1974 c. 28.] Northern Ireland Act 1974.

25Repeals and savings

(1)The enactments described in Schedule 3 are repealed to the extent specified in the third column of that Schedule.

(2)Without prejudice to section 17(2)(a), a reference to the [1889 c. 63.] Interpretation Act 1889, to any provision of that Act or to any other enactment repealed by this Act, whether occurring in another Act, in subordinate legislation, in Northern Ireland legislation or in any deed or other instrument or document, shall be construed as referring to this Act, or to the corresponding provision of this Act, as it applies to Acts passed at the time of the reference.

(3)The provisions of this Act relating to Acts passed after any particular time do not affect the construction of Acts passed before that time, though continued or amended by Acts passed thereafter.

26Commencement

This Act shall come into force on 1st January 1979.

27Short title

This Act may be cited as the Interpretation Act 1978.