Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954

N.I. Application of this Act

1 Meaning of certain expressions as used in this Act. N.I.

For the purposes of this Act—

(a) “Act” means an Act of the Parliament of Northern Ireland [F1 or an Act of the Assembly];

(b) “enactment” means an Act or a statutory instrument or any provision of an Act or statutory instrument;

(c) “instrument” includes an Order in Council, order or warrant (other than an order made or a warrant issued by a court), scheme, rule, regulation, or bye-law;

(d) “statutory instrument” means an instrument made under an Act;

(e) “statutory document” means any document issued under an Act other than a statutory instrument or an order of a court;

(f) “statutory provision” means any provision of

[F2 (i)] a statute or instrument made under a statute (by whatsoever Parliament [F1 or Assembly] passed or by whomsoever made) for the time being in force in Northern Ireland, F1 ... [F3 ; or]

[F4 (ia) any assimilated direct legislation for the time being in force in Northern Ireland;]

(g) “transferred provision” means—

(i) an enactment;

(ii) a statute passed either before the date of the commencement of the Union with Ireland Act, 1800M1 , by the Parliament of England, the Parliament of Great Britain or the Parliament of Ireland, or after that date by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, being a statute extending to Northern Ireland and relating to a matter in respect of which the Parliament of Northern Ireland [F1 had power] to make laws;

(iii) an instrument made under or by virtue of any such statute; and

(iv) any provision of any such statute or instrument.

F1 SI 1999/663

F2 Words in s. 1(f) renumbered as s. 1(f)(i) (30.4.2020) by The Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Act 2020 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/463), regs. 1(1), 6(2)(a)

F3 Word in s. 1(f)(i) inserted (30.4.2020) by The Direct Payments to Farmers (Legislative Continuity) Act 2020 (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/463), regs. 1(1), 6(2)(b)

F4 S. 1(f)(ia) substituted for s. 1(f)(ii)(iii) (1.1.2024) by Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (c. 28), s. 22(3), Sch. 2 para. 1(2) (with s. 22(6)); S.I. 2023/1363, reg. 3(e)

Marginal Citations

M1 1800 c. 67

2 Application of this Act. N.I.

(1) Every provision of this Act shall extend and apply to every enactment, whether passed or made before or after the passing of this Act, unless a contrary intention appears in this Act or in the enactment.

(2) In addition, any provision of this Act which refers to [F5 statutory] provisions shall, unless the contrary intention appears in the [F5 statutory] provisions, have, in relation to those provisions, such effect as is stated in that provision of this Act.

(3) The provisions of this Act shall apply to this Act as they apply to an enactment passed after the commencement of this Act and references in this Act to an enactment passed after the commencement of this Act shall be construed as including references to this Act.

F5 SI 1999/663

3 Rules not inconsistent not excluded. N.I.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed as excluding the application to a statutory provision of a rule of construction applicable thereto and not inconsistent with this Act.