Reports leading to the passage of legislation
Reports which lead to legislation may be consulted by the courts in interpreting
an Act of Parliament. The House of Lords in Black-Clawson International
Ltd v Papierwerke etc AG [1975] AC 591 said that where a statute
is ambiguous the court may look to a report to establish the mischief to
be remedied by
the statute, but cannot use the report as a guide as to the meaning of the
legislation.