What Statutes Mean: Interpretive Lessons from Positive Theories of Communication and Legislation

Authors

Cheryl Boudreau
Arthur Lupia
Mathew D. McCubbins
Daniel B. Rodrigues

Library of Congress Authority File

http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n79122466

Document Type

Article

Abstract

How should judges interpret statutes? For some scholars and judges, interpreting statutes requires little more than a close examination of statutory language, with perhaps a dictionary and a few interpretive canons nearby. For others, statutory interpretation must be based upon an assessment of a statute's underlying purpose, an evaluation of society's current norms and values, or a normative objective, such as the "law's integrity." With such differences squarely framed in the literature, it is reasonable to ask whether anything of value can be added. We contend that there is.

Recommended Citation

Cheryl Boudreau, Arthur Lupia, Mathew D. McCubbins & Daniel B. Rodrigues, What Statutes Mean: Interpretive Lessons from Positive Theories of Communication and Legislation, 44 San Diego L. Rev. 957 (2007).
Available at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/sdlr/vol44/iss4/12