TLA Editor-in-Chief, The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, joined the TLA editorial team in our Pyrmont office last week to celebrate the completion of the most recent TLA enhancement: a re-structure of Title 25 which is now named “Interpretation and Use of Legal Sources”. 

As a result of a dedicated author and editorial team, we have over 800 pages of new material added to the encyclopaedia, covering:

• interpretation of constitutions and subordinate legislation;
• principles of statutory interpretation;
• interpretation of private law documents such as contracts, deeds, wills and trusts;
• interpretation of judgments, orders and practice directions.

The new Title was authored by Perry Herzfeld, Thomas Prince and Dr Stephen Tully, and received guidance and oversight from Title Editor Laureate Professor Cheryl Saunders AO.

The material will also be published as a book entitled Interpretation and Use of Legal Sources – The Laws of Australia. In his foreword, Michael Kirby states:

“Interpretation constitutes the key that unlocks the door to the meaning of law. This therefore is a topic of great relevance to every other particular topic of law. Necessarily, every such topic must be expressed in words (sometimes figures, symbols, formulae and other images). To say what the words and images mean, every professional lawyer must be acquainted with the material covered in this Title.”