The Interpretation Act 1889 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. In Northern Ireland, of the Interpretation Act 1954 provided that without prejudice to 48 of that Act, the Interpretation Act 1889 was to cease to apply to the interpretation of enactments. The whole Act, except paragraphs, and of section 13 in their application to Northern Ireland, was repealed by section 25 of, and Schedule 3 to, the Interpretation Act 1978. In the Republic of Ireland, the application of the Interpretation Act 1889 was restricted to pre-1924 legislation by the Interpretation Act 1923, and repealed by the Interpretation Act 2005.
Construction of references
Without prejudice to section 17 of the Interpretation Act 1978, a reference to the Interpretation Act 1889 or to any provision of that Act, whether occurring in another Act, in subordinate legislation, in Northern Ireland legislation or in any deed or other instrument or document, must be construed as referring to the Interpretation Act 1978, or to the corresponding provision of the Interpretation Act 1978, as it applies to Acts passed at the time of the reference.
Application to Church Assembly Measures
The Interpretation Act 1889, except section 5 thereof applied to the Interpretation Measure 1925, and to all Measures passed by the Church Assembly after that Measure, in like manner as it applied to an Act of Parliament, and as if that Measure and those Measures were Acts of Parliament.
This section was amended for Ireland by sections 38 to 43, 46, 47 and 49 of, and schedule 7 to, the Government of Ireland Act 1920. In this section, paragraphs, and as they applied to Northern Ireland were repealed by section 122 of, and Part I of Schedule 7 to, the Judicature Act 1978.
In section 17 the words "or members" were repealed by section 80 of, and Schedule 13 to, the Representation of the People Act 1948. Sections 17 and were repealed by section 80 of, and Schedule 13 to, the Representation of the People Act 1948.
Section 18
Section 18 was restricted by section 11 of the Statute of Westminster 1931 which provided that notwithstanding anything in the Interpretation Act 1889, the expression "Colony" did not, in any Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed after the commencement of the Statute of Westminster 1931, include a Dominion or any Province or State forming part of a Dominion. In section 18, the words "and of British Burma" were repealed by section 5 of, and part I of Schedule 2 to, the Burma Independence Act 1947. Sections 18 and were omitted by the Government of India Order 1937, p. 965. In section 18, the words "outside British India" were inserted by the Government of India Order 1937, p. 965.
Section 38 of the Interpretation Act 1889 had the same effect in relation to any repeal by the Judicature Act 1978 of a statutory provision other than an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom as it had in relation to the repeal by the Judicature Act 1978 of such an Act.
