How Does Interpretation of Codifying Statutes Work?

A codifying statute is like a recipe that tells people exactly what to do, and how to figure it out if things get tricky.

Imagine you're baking cookies with your friend, and the recipe says: "Put in 2 cups of flour." That's clear. But then it also says: "Add sugar until it feels right." Now you both might disagree on how much that is, one person might say a cup, another might say two. That’s where interpretation comes in.

When there's a disagreement, like about how much sugar to add, a judge acts like the boss of the kitchen. They look at the recipe (the statute), and also think about what makes sense, like if someone added too little sugar, the cookies might be bland. The judge decides how much sugar should have been used based on common sense and what the rule is trying to do.

Sometimes rules are written in a way that's not perfectly clear. That’s okay! People can use everyday examples, like baking, to help figure out what makes sense, even when it's not spelled out. A codifying statute is like a recipe that tells people exactly what to do, and how to figure it out if things get tricky.

Imagine you're baking cookies with your friend, and the recipe says: "Put in 2 cups of flour." That's clear. But then it also says: "Add sugar until it feels right." Now you both might disagree on how much that is, one person might say a cup, another might say two. That’s where interpretation comes in.