Statutory Interpretation: Whither Nigerian Jurisprudence?

Abstract

The application of the principles of statutory interpretation cuts across every area of legal practice. This position attests to the importance of the principle of statutory interpretation to legal practice. However, legal curriculum in Nigeria and in most common law countries both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels has failed to give this area of law the prominence it deserved in their respective law curriculla. Aside from this, the continued classification of the various rules of interpretation as distinct/separate rules of interpretation makes this field of study unintelligible and difficult to comprehend because of the complexity of words. In addition, each of the principal rules of statutory interpretation has inherent shortcomings, which has led to delay in judicial administration and caused injustice. Consequently, this paper reiterates the need to play emphasis on this area of study in law curriculum, ex-rays the current rules of statutory interpretation as applicable in Nigeria, and draws inspiration from the practice in English and Indian jurisdictions. It also advocates that resort should be had to the purposive approach which is a harmonization of the principal rules of statutory interpretation subject to emerging realities of justice and developments in order to ensure that the end of justice are appropriately served.