Laws and judges -- Why we need to interpret statutes -- Definitions, ordinary meaning, and respect for the legislature -- The intent of the legislature -- Stability, dynamism, and other values -- Who should interpret statutes? -- Jurors as statutory interpreters -- Legislatures, judges, and statutory interpretation.
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Pulling the rug out from debates about interpretation, The Language of Statutes joins together learning from law, linguistics, and cognitive science to illuminate the fundamental issues and problems in this highly contested area. Here, Lawrence M. Solan argues that statutory interpretation is alive, well, and not in need of the major overhaul that many have suggested. Rather, he suggests, the majority of people understand their rights and obligations most of the time, with difficult cases occurring in circumstances that we can predict from understanding when our minds do not work in a lawlike.