This document outlines a learning activity where students will work in groups to interpret and amend a hypothetical statute called "The House Number Act". The activity involves identifying rules of statutory interpretation, applying those rules to scenarios involving the Act, assessing problems with the Act, and redrafting the Act to address the identified issues. Students will work through tasks exploring statutory interpretation techniques, discuss example applications of the Act, critique aspects of the original Act, and present amended versions of the Act that their groups drafted. The goal is for students to practice and demonstrate their understanding of statutory interpretation skills.

1. Statutory
Interpretation
Applying the rules …

2. Learning Outcomes …
➔Identify and explain with cases the rules of Statutory
Interpretation
➔Demonstrate the use of Statutory Interpretation to
the “The House Number Act”
➔Assess the sections of the Act, suggesting areas of
improvements
➔Redraft “The House Number Act”

3. Getting into teams
1. Katy S, Daria, Adaam & 4 Sarah, Majid, Jenni &
Tom Ethan
2. Vicky, Kirsten, Ainsley & 5 Josh, Anham, Lucy,
Kieran Johannah & Sania
3. Katie W, Charlotte,
Connor & Laura H

4. Task 1 – Identifying and explaining the rules
10 min
In your teams, read the
statements on the
cards.
Link the pink cards
with the cream cards.
Then add a blue card
and construct a
definition.
Definition

5. The Literal Rule
This rule says that words should be given their plain
ordinary, everyday grammatical meaning
Whiteley v Chappel
Cheeseman v DPP
R v Bentham

6. The Golden Rule
This rule is usually used when a word has 2 or more
meanings and judges take the least absurd
meaning to create a better result
R v Sigsworth
Adler v George
R v Allen

7. The Mischief Rule
This is the rule known as the rule in ‘Heydon’s Case’,
where judges can look beyond a word of an Act to
find Parliament’s intention
DPP v Bull
Smith v Hughes
Royal College of Nursing v DHSS

8. The Purposive Approach
This rule allows a judge to add or ignore words in an
Act to help them give a decision that supports, in
their view why the Act was created
R v Registrar General ex parte Smith
R v Morris

9. Task 2 – Applying the law …
On page 3 of your work-pack, there is a
hypothetical Act of Parliament called “The
House Number Act 2010”
In groups, your next task is on the top of page
4, please read and start the task
15 minutes

16. Scenarios … 4. Ms Cain lives with her partner in a
cottage. They have a large plaque
that they had ordered from the
garden centre. It has a beehive in
the centre, and the words ‘Honey
1 Mr & Mrs Smith live in an
Cottage’ written across the top,
upmarket area where the
and the words ‘TWENTY SEVEN’
houses only have names.
written along the bottom. It is
Their house is called “The
screwed to the wall next to the
Larches” and has no number
door
2 Miss Patel has a brand new
all-glass door. Her number is
screwed on to the garden 5. Miss Apple-Ford is very artistic and
gate has painted her door dark green.
3 Mr Mourinho lives in a flat Above the knocker she has painted
over a chemist shop, but has a white oval, upon which the
his own door at the back of number of the house is painted in
the shop, which has no dark green
number

17. Team 3 – feedback
Feedback scenario 3
Team 5 – feedback
scenario 1 Team 2 – feedback
scenario 4
Team 4 – feedback Team 1 – feedback
scenario 2 scenario 5

18. Team 5 – Feedback – Scenario 1

19. Team 4 – Feedback – Scenario 2

20. Team 3 – Feedback – Scenario 3

21. Team 2 – Feedback – Scenario 4

22. Team 1 – Feedback – Scenario 5

23. Task 3 – Assessing & modifying the law …
On page 7 of your work-pack, taking on the
feedback of the scenarios, list 3 problems or
potential problems with the Act
3 minutes

24. What ambiguities are there, and
what changes could be made?

25. Re-visiting the Learning Outcomes …
Can you...?
➔Identify and explain with cases the rules of Statutory
Interpretation
➔Demonstrate the use of Statutory Interpretation to
the “The House Number Act”
➔Assess the sections of the Act, suggesting areas of
improvements
Now …
➔Redraft “The House Number Act”

26. Task 4 – in your
teams, taking
The House on the
Number feedback and
(Amended) ideas, re-draft
Act 2011 The House
Number Act
2011
Page 8 & 9 –
10 minutes
work-pack

27. Team 3 – Present your new version of
the Act

28. Team 1 – Present your new version of
the Act

29. Team 5 – Present your new version of
the Act

30. Team 2 – Present your new version of
the Act

31. Team 4 – Present your new version of
the Act

32. Re-visiting the Learning Outcomes …
Can you...?
➔Identify and explain with cases the rules of Statutory
Interpretation
➔Demonstrate the use of Statutory Interpretation to
the “The House Number Act”
➔Assess the sections of the Act, suggesting areas of
improvements
➔Redraft “The House Number Act”