Interpretation Act

Interpretation Acts may be a generic name either for legislation bearing that short title or for all legislation which relates to interpretation.

List

Australia

Commonwealth

• The Acts Interpretation Act 1901

States and territories

• Interpretation Act 1967 (ACT)
• Legislation Act 2001 (ACT)
• Interpretation Act 1987 (NSW)
• Interpretation Act 1978 (NT)
• Acts Interpretation Act 1954 (Qld)
• The Acts Interpretation Act 1931 (Tas.)
• Interpretation of Legislation Act 1984 (Vic.)
• Interpretation Act 1984 (WA)

Canada

Federal

• Interpretation Act, RSC 1985, c I-21

Provinces and territories

• Interpretation Act, RSA 2000, c I-8
• Interpretation Act, RSBC 1986 c I-238
• The Interpretation Act, CCSM, c I80
• Interpretation Act, RSNB 1973, c I-13
• Interpretation Act, RSNL 1990, c I-19
• Interpretation Act, SNWT 2017, c 19
• Interpretation Act, RSNS 1989, c 235
• Interpretation Act, RSPEI 1988, c I-8.1
• Interpretation Act, CQLR c I-16
• Interpretation Act, RSY 2002, c 125

Hong Kong

• The Interpretation and General Clauses and Ordinance 1966

Republic of Ireland and Irish Free State

• The Interpretation Act 1923
• The Interpretation Act 1937
• The Interpretation (Amendment) Act 1993
• The Interpretation (Amendment) Act 1997
• The Interpretation Act 2005

Malaysia

• The Interpretation Acts 1948 and 1967

New Zealand

• The Legislation Act 2019 (No 58)

Singapore

• Interpretation Act (Cap. 1)

United Kingdom

• The Interpretation Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict. c. 63)
• The Laying of Documents Before Parliament (Interpretation) Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 59)
• The Interpretation Act 1978 (c. 30)

Lord Brougham's Act, known as the Interpretation Act 1850 (13 & 14 Vict. c. 21), has been described as an interpretation act.

Act of the Scottish Parliament

• The Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 (asp 10)

Act of Senedd Cymru

• The Legislation (Wales) Act 2019 (anaw 4)
• The Legislation (Procedure, Publication and Repeals) (Wales) Act 2025 (asc 3)

Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland

• The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (c. 33 (N.I.))

Measure of the Church Assembly

• The Interpretation Measure 1925 (15 and 16 Geo. 5. No. 1)

Crown Dependencies

• Guernsey: The Interpretation (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law, 2016; Interpretation (Guernsey) Law, 1948
• Isle of Man: The Interpretation Act 2015
• Jersey: The Interpretation (Jersey) Law 1954