CA Intermediate · Corporate and Other Laws · Interpretation of Statutes
An Act imposes a duty on 'owners of cars, vans, lorries and other vehicles' to display a pollution sticker. A dispute arises on whether a bullock cart owner must display it. Consider also the maxim noscitur a sociis. Which statement reflects the correct approach to interpretation?
The bullock cart owner is not covered. Under noscitur a sociis and ejusdem generis, 'other vehicles' takes its meaning from the associated words cars, vans and lorries, which are motor-driven. The general phrase is read as similar motor vehicles, not every vehicle.
- AThe bullock cart owner is covered, because 'other vehicles' must include every conceivable vehicle
- BWords must be understood in the company of the words associated with them; since the listed items are motor-driven, 'other vehicles' is read as motor vehicles of similar nature and the bullock cart owner is not coveredCorrect
- CThe Act is void for vagueness and no one is bound by it
- DThe Act applies only to cars, since the first word in a list alone governs the meaning
Explanation
Noscitur a sociis means a word is known by the company it keeps, and ejusdem generis limits general words to the class of the specific ones. Cars, vans and lorries are motor vehicles, so 'other vehicles' means similar motor vehicles. A bullock cart is not of that kind. Option D wrongly gives weight to the first word only.
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