Interpretation Act, 1923

Construction of certain general words in Acts.

1.—(1) In this Act and in every Act passed after the commencement of this Act, unless the contrary intention appears—

(a) words importing the masculine gender shall include females:

(b) words in the singular shall include the plural, and words in the plural shall include the singular:

(c) the word ‘person’ shall include any body of persons corporate or un-incorporate:

(d) the word ‘month’ shall mean calendar month:

(e) the word ‘land’ shall include messuages, tenements, and hereditaments, houses and buildings, of any tenure:

(f) the words ‘oath’ and ‘affidavit’ shall, in the case of persons for the time being allowed by law to affirm or declare instead of swearing, include affirmation and declaration, and the word ‘swear’ shall, in the like case, include affirm and declare.

(2) In the construction of every enactment relating to an offence punishable on indictment or on summary conviction, the word ‘person’ shall, unless the contrary intention appears, include a body corporate.