Report on Guest Lecture

Topic- Interpretation of Statutes: An Indian Perspective

Aditi Mishra
Conducted on: 15-04-2022
“It is not the strongest or the most intelligent, who survives but those who
can best manage change” – Charles Darwin
Institute of Legal Studies & Research, GLA University, Mathura
organized lecture on Interpretation of Statutes: An Indian Perspective
on 15TH April 2022. The lecture was delivered by Dr. Ravindra Pratap
Dan of South Asian University, Delhi.
Dr. Ravindra Pratap is senior teacher spanning over more than two
decades of teaching, and research experience, especially in the field of
International Trade law, International Adjudication and Legal
Interpretation. Dr. Pratap has published books on India at the WTO
Dispute Settlement System (2004) and Interpretation of Statutes: A
Reader (2010). Dr. Pratap delivered lecture on various areas of
International Trade Law, Interpretation of Statues etc. in a number of
Indian and Foreign University.
He began his lecture with the question- what is the meaning of
Interpretation? According to him interpretation means the particular way
in which something is understood or explained. He explained the
importance and role if interpretation in our day-to-day life and how
interpretation has come up with the tag one of the most important aspects
of our life. For a better understanding he took an example of HLA Hart
that is suppose a law forbade the taking of a vehicle into a park, and is not
specific as to which type of vehicle. An apparent meaning of the term
vehicle would imply that cars are prohibited from entering the park.
However, in the absence of any clear definition of the term vehicle,
would toy cars qualify as vehicle? And, would the rule of prohibition be
equally applicable on toy car? Hart emphasis that interconnection
between what the law is and what the law ought to be does not depict
how the law actually functions at the core. According to Dr. Pratap
language does not determine the core of legal rules. This is because it is
not possible to determine what the word of a statues in this case the term
vehicle without first looking at the purpose behind the rule.
Dr. Pratap has also taken one more example for the better understanding
about the interpretation of statutes to the students. He created a situation
among the students as- it was written in a platform that it is punishable by
a fine of 500rs, to sleep in any railway station and now suppose you are a
judge and there are two person named Person ‘A’ and Person ‘B. Person
A is a passenger who was waiting at 3 A.M. for a delayed train. When he
was arrested, he was sitting upright in an orderly fashion, but was heard
by arresting officer to be gently snoring. Person B is a man who had
brought a blanket and a pillow to the station and had obviously settled
himself down for the night. He was arrested; however, he had a chance to
go to sleep. Dr. Pratap then asked the students that according to them
which of these cases presents the standard instance of the word sleep? if I
interpret the word sleep as used in this statue to mean something like to
spread oneself out on a bench or floor to spend the night, or as if to spend
the night?
He then continued by differentiating between the Interpretation and
Construction. He discusses the HLA Har article (1958). Further he
discussed that Interpretation is inherent in written law.
Towards the end of the lecture, students asked their doubts and Dr.
Ravindra Pratap answered their queries.
It was a very informative and interactive session where students came to
know about the true meaning of Interpretation of Statutes.
It was also a great initiative taken by the faculties especially Dr.
Abhishek Trivedi of ILSR for conducting this wonderful session of
knowledge sharing and gaining. This wonderful lecture ended by taking a
group picture.