Grey v Pearson
The golden rule: the ordinary meaning of words should be adopted unless it leads to an absurdity or inconsistency, in which case it may be modified.
Facts
The case concerned the interpretation of a will, and the question of how ambiguous words in it should be construed. Lord Wensleydale took the opportunity to state a general principle of interpretation that applies to statutes as well as other written instruments.
Legal principle
Lord Wensleydale said that in construing wills, and indeed statutes and all written instruments, the grammatical and ordinary sense of the words is to be adhered to, unless that would lead to some absurdity, or some repugnance or inconsistency with the rest of the instrument, in which case the grammatical and ordinary sense of the words may be modified so as to avoid that absurdity and inconsistency, but no farther. This is the classic statement of the golden rule.
Related cases on statutory interpretation
- Adler v George [1964] 2 QB 7
- Black-Clawson International Ltd v Papierwerke Waldhof-Aschaffenburg AG [1975] AC 591
- Corkery v Carpenter [1951] 1 KB 102
- Heydon's Case (1584) 3 Co Rep 7a
- Inco Europe Ltd v First Choice Distribution [2000] 1 WLR 586
- Jones v Tower Boot Co Ltd [1997] ICR 254
- London and North Eastern Railway Co v Berriman [1946] AC 278
- Magor and St Mellons Rural District Council v Newport Corp [1952] AC 189
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This summary is for study and revision and is not legal advice. Although our case summaries are checked for accuracy, we do not guarantee that they are free from errors or omissions. Always read the full judgment for the court's reasoning.
