Project
Legislative Intent and Ordinary Meaning is an interdisciplinary initiative that brings together scholars from Law, Philosophy, Political Science and French Studies at the University of Western Ontario to investigate how laws are interpreted within legal institutions and understood by the public.
Like all language, the language of law can be ambiguous, vague or otherwise hard to understand. It often combines technical and ordinary meanings, aiming to be precise but also accessible to everyone. As a result, the intention of the legislature can be unclear. This poses problems both for judges interpreting the law and for people trying to follow it.
Our project aims to study this phenomenon from the perspectives of multiple disciplines, using both theoretical and empirical approaches. The broader goal is to connect scholars globally to explore topics at the intersection of law and language.
How you can take part
Attend our events. We are organizing a series of talks in the 2024–25 academic year. While we are based at Western, we strive to hold our events both in-person and on Zoom. We encourage you to register.
Read or submit a blog post. We aim to profile relevant scholars and provide updates on relevant scholarship, events, legislation and case law on our blog. Feel free to submit a proposal for a post.
Join our network. If you would like us to keep you apprised of our work and events, email Andy Yu or Manish Oza.
Legislative Intent and Ordinary Meaning 