Considers what mischief or defect the statute was intended to remedy.
These presumptions are not technical rules but , Singh argues. principles of statutory interpretation gp singh high quality
Singh opens with the (or plain meaning rule ): if the statutory language is unambiguous and leads to no absurdity, it must be applied as written. He cites R. v. Judge of the City of London Court [1892] 1 QB 273: “If the words of an Act are clear, you must follow them, even if they lead to a manifest absurdity. The court has nothing to do with the question whether the legislature has committed an absurdity.” Considers what mischief or defect the statute was
Originally authored by Justice G.P. Singh, this work has evolved over decades to become the most cited commentary by the Supreme Court of India and various High Courts. Following Justice Singh’s passing, the task of maintaining its "high quality" and scholarly rigor was taken up by former Supreme Court Justice A.K. Patnaik and more recently updated by Justice Alok Aradhe LexisNexis He cites R
G.P. Singh did not invent statutory interpretation; he it for a common law jurisdiction with a written constitution. His Principles teach that interpretation is neither mechanical literalism nor freewheeling activism. Instead, it is a disciplined inquiry guided by rules, aids, presumptions, and above all, the statute’s text and context. For students, his work is a toolkit; for judges, a compass; for scholars, a benchmark. Any future theory of interpretation in India must begin – and often ends – with G.P. Singh.