Legislative Intent and Ordinary Meaning is an interdisciplinary initiative on law and language based at the University of Western Ontario.
Upcoming events
We’re currently planning talks for 2026–27. Stay tuned!
Latest posts
- Winter updateWe hope everyone had a lovely holiday season! In this second newsletter update, we are proud to share what the Legislative Intent and Ordinary Meaning project on law and language at Western Law has been up to lately. Upcoming talks We are excited to welcome Robert Mullins (Queensland) to Western… Read more: Winter update
- Interview with Ross PeyROSS PEY is a PhD candidate specializing in statutory interpretation (including comparative statutory interpretation) at the University of Western Ontario. His thesis maps the current approach to statutory interpretation in the UK, including the nature of bilingual interpretation in Wales. In Edinburgh, he analyzed the interpretation and operation of Brexit… Read more: Interview with Ross Pey
- Fall updateWe hope everyone is having a nice fall. In this first newsletter update, we are proud to share what the Legislative Intent and Ordinary Meaning project on law and language at Western Law has been up to lately. Upcoming talk On November 13, 2025, we are delighted to be hosting… Read more: Fall update
- Telus v FCM and “Starting With The Text”Mark Mancini The modern approach in statutory interpretation requires courts to consider the text, context, and purpose(s) of the enactment. That much is clear. But alongside this instruction, there is another: courts should start with the text (CISSS A, 2024 SCC 43, at para 27). This instruction is ambiguous because,… Read more: Telus v FCM and “Starting With The Text”
- What Does it Mean to Say that Statutes are ‘Always Speaking’?Andy Yu Statutes are “always speaking”. That’s “trite law”, or so it’s been said (by Andrew Burrows, before he joined the UK Supreme Court). But the metaphor has also been described as “arresting but enigmatic” (Lord Leggatt (concurring), in the recent UK case of News Corp [2023] UKSC 7). What does it mean… Read more: What Does it Mean to Say that Statutes are ‘Always Speaking’?
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