Interpretation Act 1978

[F1“Act” means an Act of Parliament.]

“Associated state” means a territory maintaining a status of association with the United Kingdom in accordance with the M1West Indies Act 1967. [16th February 1967]

“Bank of England” means, as the context requires, the Governor and Company of the Bank of England or the bank of the Governor and Company of the Bank of England.

“Bank of Ireland” means, as the context requires, the Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland or the bank of the Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland.

“British Islands” means the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. [1889]

[F2“British overseas territory” has the same meaning as in the British Nationality Act 1981;]

“British possession” means any part of Her Majesty’s dominions outside the United Kingdom; and where parts of such dominions are under both a central and a local legislature, all parts under the central legislature are deemed, for the purposes of this definition, to be one British possession. [1889]

F3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Building regulations”, in relation to England and Wales, [F4has the meaning given by section 122 of the Building Act 1984]

“Central funds”, in an enactment providing in relation to England and Wales for the payment of costs out of central funds, means money provided by Parliament.

“Charity Commissioners” means the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales referred to in [F5section 1 of the Charities Act 1993].

“Church Commissioners” means the Commissioners constituted by the M2Church Commissioners Measure 1947.

“Colonial legislature”, and “legislature” in relation to a British possession, mean the authority, other than the Parliament of the United Kingdom or Her Majesty in Council, competent to make laws for the possession. [1889]

“Colony” means any part of Her Majesty’s dominions outside the British Islands except—

and where parts of such dominions are under both a central and a local legislature, all parts under the central legislature are deemed for the purposes of this definition to be one colony. [1889]

“Commencement”, in relation to an Act or enactment, means the time when the Act or enactment comes into force.

“Committed for trial” means—

“The Communities”, “the Treaties” or “the Community Treaties” and other expressions defined by section 1 of and Schedule 1 to the M3European Communities Act 1972 have the meanings prescribed by that Act.

“Comptroller and Auditor General” means the Comptroller-General of the receipt and issue of Her Majesty’s Exchequer and Auditor-General of Public Accounts appointed in pursuance of the M4Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1866.

“Consular officer” has the meaning assigned by Article 1 of the Vienna Convention set out in Schedule 1 to the M5Consular Relations Act 1968.

[F8 “The Corporation Tax Acts” means the enactments relating to the taxation of the income and chargeable gains of companies and of company distributions (including provisions relating to income tax);]

“County court” means—

“Court of Appeal” means—

“Court of summary jurisdiction”, “summary conviction” and “Summary Jurisdiction Acts”, in relation to Northern Ireland, have the same meanings as in Measures of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Acts of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

“Crown Court” means—

“Crown Estate Commissioners” means the Commissioners referred to in section 1 of the M8Crown Estate Act 1961.

[F11“Enactment” does not include an enactment comprised in, or in an instrument made under, an Act of the Scottish Parliament.]

“England” means, subject to any alteration of boundaries under Part IV of the M9Local Government Act 1972, the area consisting of the counties established by section 1 of that Act, Greater London and the Isles of Scilly. [1st April 1974].

“Financial year” means, in relation to matters relating to the Consolidated Fund, the National Loans Fund, or moneys provided by Parliament, or to the Exchequer or to central taxes or finance, the twelve months ending with 31st March. [1889]

“Governor-General” includes any person who for the time being has the powers of the Governor-General, and “Governor”, in relation to any British possession, includes the officer for the time being administering the government of that possession. [1889]

“High Court” means—

“The Income Tax Acts” means all enactments relating to income tax, including any provisions of the Corporation Tax Acts which relate to income tax.

“Land” includes building and other structures, land covered with water, and any estate, interest, easement, servitude or right in or over land. [1st January 1979].

“Lands Clauses Acts” means—

“Local land charges register”, in relation to England and Wales, means a register kept pursuant to section 3 of the M15Local Land Charges Act 1975, and “the appropriate local land charges register” has the meaning assigned by section 4 of that Act.

“London borough” means a borough described in Schedule 1 to the M16London Government Act 1963, “inner London borough” means one of the boroughs so described and numbered from 1 to 12 and “outer London borough” means one of the boroughs so described and numbered from 13 to 32, subject (in each case) to any alterations made under Part IV of the M17Local Government Act 1972 [F12or Part II of the Local Government Act 1992].

“Lord Chancellor” means the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain.

“Magistrates’ court” has the meaning assigned to it—

“Month” means calendar month. [1850]

“National Debt Commissioners” means the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt.

“Northern Ireland legislation” has the meaning assigned by section 24(5) of this Act. [1st January 1979]

“Oath” and “affidavit” include affirmation and declaration, and “swear” includes affirm and declare.

“Ordnance Map” means a map made under powers conferred by the M18Ordnance Survey Act 1841 or the M19Boundary Survey (Ireland) Act 1854.

“Parliamentary Election” means the election of a Member to serve in Parliament for a constituency. [1889]

“Person” includes a body of persons corporate or unincorporate. [1889]

“Police area”, “police authority” and other expressions relating to the police have the meaning or effect described—

[F16“Police Service of Northern Ireland” and “Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve” have the same meaning as in the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 2000;]

“The Privy Council” means the Lords and others of Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council.

[F17“Registered” in relation to nurses and midwives, means registered in the register maintained under article 5 of the Nurses and Midwives Order 2001 by virtue of qualifications in nursing or midwifery, as the case may be.]

[F18“Registered medical practitioner” means a fully registered person within the meaning of the Medical Act 1983 who holds a licence to practise under that Act.]

“Rules of Court” in relation to any court means rules made by the authority having power to make rules or orders regulating the practice and procedure of that court, and in Scotland includes Acts of Adjournal and Acts of Sederunt; and the power of the authority to make rules of court (as above defined) includes power to make such rules for the purpose of any Act which directs or authorises anything to be done by rules of court. [1889]

“Secretary of State” means one of Her Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State.

[F19“Sewerage undertaker”, in relation to England and Wales, shall be construed in accordance with section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991].

“Sheriff”, in relation to Scotland, includes sheriff principal. [1889]

[F20“The standard scale”, with reference to a fine or penalty for an offence triable only summarily,—

“Statutory declaration” means a declaration made by virtue of the M23Statutory Declarations Act 1835.

[F21“Statutory maximum”, with reference to a fine or penalty on summary conviction for an offence,—

“Supreme Court” means—

[F22“The Tax Acts” means the Income Tax Acts and the Corporation Tax Acts.]

“The Treasury” means the Commissioners of Her Majesty’s Treasury.

[F23“Trust of land” and “trustees of land”, in relation to England and Wales, have the same meanings as in the Trusts of Land and Appointment of Trustees Act 1996.]

“United Kingdom” means Great Britain and Northern Ireland. [12th April 1927]

[F24“Wales” means the combined area of the counties which were created by section 20 of the M25Local Government Act 1972, as originally enacted, but subject to any alteration made under section 73 of that Act (consequential alteration of boundary following alteration of watercourse).]

[F25“Water undertaker”, in relation to England and Wales, shall be construed in accordance with section 6 of the Water Industry Act 1991].

“Writing” includes typing, printing, lithography, photography and other modes of representing or reproducing words in a visible form, and expressions referring to writing are construed accordingly.