Interpretation of Statute

Grahamstown • 6140 • South Africa

FACULTY OF LAW • Tel: (046) 603 8427/8 • Fax: (046) 6228960

Web Page: http://www.ru.ac.za/law

Legal Theory 2

Legal Interpretation

Study Guide

2013

LECTURER: PROFESSOR R. MQEKE

r.mqeke@ru.ac.za

Room F5c – Faculty of Law

Preface

2013 Course Outline

1

Introduction

Overview

Legal interpretation is a self-standing semester course that counts as a credit in the Faculty

of Law LLB2, as well as comprising one of the four component courses in Legal Theory 2 in

the Faculties of Humanities, Science and Commerce. Students who pass Legal Interpretation

as part of Legal Theory 2 are exempted from the course in the LLB curriculum. The purpose

of the course is to provide insight into the nature and function on the process of legal

interpretation in South Africa. More particularly:

 To introduce students to the nature of legal reasoning by studying case law

 To provide students with the ability to be able to read, interpret and understand

enacted law and case law

 To provide students with a thorough understanding of the various principles,

theories and techniques relevant to the interpretation of enacted law and case law

 To provide students with the ability to understand the nature of constitutional

interpretation

 To provide the students with the ability to understand and apply the principles of

judicial precedent

 To assist students in being able to identify and solve authentic legal problems with

regard to the interpretation of enacted law and judgments

 To assist students in extracting principles from statutes, law reports and other

sources

 To fami`

liarise students with legal concepts and terminology commonly

encountered in statutes and law reports

Credit Value

7.5 Credits

Assumptions of Prior Learning

In order to complete this course successfully students need to:

 Be capable of writing and communicating in coherent English

 Know where and how to access resources such as...