INTERPRETATION ACT [Chapter 1:01] (as amended 1st March 2005) (a) the application may be made to a judge, magistrate or other judicial officer of the court if rules of the court so provide; and taking into account its context in the enactment and the purpose or object underlying the enactment; or (b) the application may be made in any appropriate form, whether by way of action, application or otherwise, permitted by rules of the court. (b) determining the meaning of the provision when⎯ (i) the provision is ambiguous or obscure; or (Subsection as substituted by s. 2 of Act 12/1997) (ii) the ordinary meaning conveyed by the text of the provision taking into account its context in the enactment and the purpose or object underlying the enactment leads to a result that is manifestly absurd or unreasonable. (2) Any reference in an enactment to a petition to a court shall be construed as a reference to an application to the court or to a judge, magistrate or other judicial officer of the court, made in accordance with rules of the court. (3) Where an enactment requires or permits anything to be done by way of action in a court, the thing may be done by any appropriate form of proceeding permitted by rules of the court. (2) The following material may be used for the purposes of subsection (1)⎯ (a) the material referred to in section seven; (Subsection inserted by s. 2 of Act 12/1997) (b) any relevant report of a commission of inquiry appointed in terms of the Commissions of Inquiry Act [Chapter 10:07], or the Law Development Commission established in terms of the Law Development Commission Act [Chapter 1:02], or any relevant report of a committee of inquiry or other similar body that was laid before Parliament before the time when the provision was enacted; 15A References to things done by notice in the Gazette or by statutory instrument Where an enactment requires or permits anything to be done⎯ (a) by notice in the Gazette, the thing may be done by statutory instrument published as a supplement to the Gazette; (b) by statutory instrument, the instrument may be published as a notice in the Gazette rather than as a supplement to the Gazette. (c) any relevant report of a committee of Parliament that was made to Parliament before the time when the provision was enacted; (Section inserted by s. 2 of Act 12/1997) 15B Use of extrinsic material in the interpretation of enactments (1) Subject to subsection (3), in the interpretation of a provision of an enactment consideration may be given to the material referred to in subsection (2) for the purpose of⎯ (a) confirming that the meaning of the provision is the ordinary meaning conveyed by the text of the provision -9- (d) any treaty, convention or other international agreement that is referred to in the enactment; (e) any explanatory memorandum relating to the Bill containing the provision, or any other relevant document, that was laid before or furnished to members of Parliament by a Minister