PART I.

Preliminary and General.

1. —This Act may be cited as the Interpretation Act, 1937.

2. —This Act shall come into operation immediately after the coming into operation of the Constitution of Ireland lately enacted by the People.

3. —In this Act—

the word “statute” includes (in addition to Acts of the Oireachtas) Acts of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Eireann, Acts of the Parliament of the former United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and Acts of a Parliament sitting in Ireland at any time before the coming into force of the Union with Ireland Act, 1800;

the word “instrument” means an order, regulation, rule, bye-law, warrant, licence, certificate, or other like document;

the expression “statutory instrument” means an instrument made, issued, or granted under a power or authority conferred by statute;

references to instruments made wholly or partly under an Act of the Oireachtas shall be construed as referring to instruments made, issued, or granted under a power or authority conferred by an Act of the Oireachtas or conferred by the joint operation of an Act of the Oireachtas and some other statute.

4. —Save as is otherwise expressly provided by this Act, every provision of this Act which relates to Acts of the Oireachtas shall apply and have effect in relation to this Act and every other Act of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Eireann (whether passed before or after this Act) which is expressed to come into operation immediately after the coming into operation of the Constitution, and accordingly this Act and every such other Act shall, for the purpose of such application but no further or otherwise, be deemed to be an Act of the Oireachtas and (save as is otherwise expressly provided by this Act) the expression “Act of the Oireachtas” shall in this Act be construed and have effect as including this Act and every such other Act of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Eireann.

5. —(1) The Interpretation Act, 1923 (No. 46 of 1923), shall not apply to any Act of the Oireachtas or to any instrument made wholly or partly under any such Act.

(2) The foregoing sub-section of this section shall not preclude or prejudice the application to this Act and to other Acts of the Oireachtas of Saorstát Eireann which are expressed to come into operation immediately after the coming into operation of the Constitution of so much of the Interpretation Act, 1923 (No. 46 of 1923), as concerns events happening or things to be done in relation to an Act before it comes into operation.