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Interpretation Act 1978

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Sections 22, 23.

SCHEDULE 2U.K. Application of Act to Existing Enactments

Part IU.K. Acts

1U.K.The following provisions of this Act apply to Acts whenever passed:—

  • Section 6(a) and (c) so far as applicable to enactments relating to offences punishable on indictment or on summary conviction

  • Section 9

  • Section 10

  • Section 11 so far as it relates to subordinate legislation made after the year 1889

  • [F1Section 14A]

  • Section 18

  • Section 19(2).

Textual Amendments

2U.K.The following apply to Acts passed after the year 1850:—

  • Section 1

  • Section 2

  • Section 3

  • Section 6(a) and (c) so far as not applicable to such Acts by virtue of paragraph 1

  • Section 15

  • Section 17(1).

3U.K.The following apply to Acts passed after the year 1889:—

  • Section 4

  • Section 7

  • Section 8

  • Section 12

  • Section 13

  • Section 14 so far as it relates to rules, regulations or byelaws

  • Section 16(1)

  • Section 17(2)(a)

  • Section 19(1)

  • Section 20(1).

4(1)Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph—U.K.

(a)paragraphs of Schedule 1 at the end of which a year or date F2. . . is specified [F3or described] apply, so far as applicable, to Acts passed on or after the date, or after the year, so specified [F3or described]: and

(b)paragraphs of that Schedule at the end of which no year or date is specified [F3or described] apply, so far as applicable, to Acts passed at any time.

(2)The definition of “British Islands”, in its application to Acts passed after the establishment of the Irish Free State but before the commencement of this Act, includes the Republic of Ireland.

(3)The definition of “colony”, in its application to an Act passed at any time before the commencement of this Act, includes—

(a)any colony within the meaning of section 18(3) of the M1Interpretation Act 1889 which was excluded, but in relation only to Acts passed at a later time, by any enactment repealed by this Act;

(b)any country or territory which ceased after that time to be part of Her Majesty’s dominions but subject to a provision for the continuation of existing law as if it had not so ceased;

and paragraph (b) of the definition does not apply.

(4)The definition of “Lord Chancellor” does not apply to Acts passed before 1st October 1921 in which that expression was used in relation to Ireland only.

(5)The definition of “person”, so far as it includes bodies corporate, applies to any provision of an Act whenever passed relating to an offence punishable on indictment or on summary conviction.

(6)This paragraph applies to F4. . . the M2Water Act 1973 as if they were passed after 1st April 1974.

5U.K.The following definitions shall be treated as included in Schedule 1 for the purposes specified in this paragraph—

(a)in any Act passed before 1st April 1974, a reference to England includes Berwick upon Tweed and Monmouthshire and, in the case of an Act passed before the M3Welsh Language Act 1967, Wales;

(b)in any Act passed before the commencement of this Act and after the year 1850, “land” includes messuages, tenements and hereditaments, houses and buildings of any tenure;

(c)in any Act passed before the commencement of the M4Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1975, “the Summary Jurisdiction (Scotland) Acts” means Part II of that Act.

Marginal Citations

Part IIU.K. Subordinate Legislation

6U.K.Sections 4(a), 9 and 19(1), and so much of Schedule 1 as defines the following expressions, namely—

  • F5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  • England;

  • Local land charges register and appropriate local land charges register;

  • [F6in relation to Scotland, expressions relating to the police;]

  • United Kingdom;

  • Wales,

apply to subordinate legislation made at any time before the commencement of this Act as they apply to Acts passed at that time.

7U.K.The definition in Schedule 1 of “county court”, in relation to England and Wales, applies to Orders in Council made after the year 1846.

[F78.U.K.The definition in Schedule 1 of “enactment”, in so far as it relates to [F8assimilated direct] legislation, applies to subordinate legislation made at any time before the commencement of this Act as it applies to Acts passed at that time.]

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