This statement suggests that courts have moved beyond a strictly textual approach to statutory interpretation and no longer rely solely on the literal meaning of words in statutes. There is some truth to this assessment:
- Courts now recognize that legislative intent is more important than a literal reading. They will consider things like context, purpose and background when interpreting statutes. A purely textual approach is too rigid.
- Rules of statutory interpretation allow courts to consider extrinsic materials to understand context and intent. Things like parliamentary debates, reports and similar legislation can be used.
- The "mischief rule" also allows courts to consider why the legislation was enacted and what problem it aimed to address. This goes beyond a dictionary definition of words.
However, the