Statutory Interpretation The Technique of Statutory ... - Francis Bennion

Guides to Legislative Intention IV: Linguistic Canons 201
drafter put it in this way? No doubt because he wished to use the evocative phrase 'come and go'.
Enactments often need to be read reddendo singula singulis. An important modern example is the
European Communities Act 1972, s 2(1) (see p 60 above). For an instructive example founded on the
Local Government Act 1933, s 59(1) see Bishop v Deakin fl936] Ch 409.
Expressum facit cessare taciturn
To state a thing expressly ends the possibility that something inconsistent with it is implied in the
passage in question. No inference is proper if it goes against the express words Parliament has used.
'Express enactment shuts the door to further implication' (Whiteman v Sadler [1910] AC 514, 527).
Where an enactment codifies a rule of common law, equity, custom or prerogative it is presumed to
displace that rule altogether. This applies even where the term codification is not used. Accordingly
the statutory formulation of the rule, whether or not it is to the like effect as the previous rule, by
implicaiton disapplies any aspect of that rule not embodied in the new formulation. Note that this
principle raises a purely linguistic assumption. It does not affect the possibility that on balance the
interpretative factors may call for a strained construction of the enactment.
The chief application of the principle expressum facit cessare taciturn lies in the so-called expressio unius
principle. This is dealt with next.
Expressio unius est exclusio alterius
The maxim expressio unius est exclusio alterius (to express one thing is to exclude another) is an aspect
of the principle expressum facit cessare taciturn. Known for short as the expressio unius principle, it is
applied where a statutory proposition might have covered a number of matters but in fact mentions
only some of them. Unless these are mentioned merely as examples, or ex abundanti cautela, or for
some other sufficient reason, the rest are taken to be excluded from the proposition.
The expressio unius principle is also applied where a formula which in itself may or may not include a
certain class is accompanied by words of extension naming only some members of that class. The
remaining members of the class are then taken to be excluded. Again, the principle may apply where
an item is mentioned in relation to one matter but not in relation to another matter equally eligible.
Section 16 of the Licensing Act 1872, an imperfectly-drafted Act, laid down three separate offences
against public order. In the statement of the first offence the word 'knowingly' was included, but it
was omitted in the case of the other two. This gave rise to the logical implication that these
could be committed with or