Interpretation Act 1850
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act for shortening the Language used in Acts of Parliament. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 13 & 14 Vict. c. 21 |
| Introduced by | Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux (Lords) |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 10 June 1850 |
| Commencement | 4 February 1851 |
| Repealed | 1 January 1890 |
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | Interpretation Act 1889 |
| Relates to | |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Interpretation Act 1850 (13 & 14 Vict. c. 21), also known as Lord Brougham's Act, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that simplified the language that was used in statutes.
The act devised the current system of dividing legislation into sections which are automatically substantive enactments, and also made various other provisions for interpreting other statutes. For example, it stated that the masculine includes the feminine (thus enabling "he" to be written instead of "he or she"), unless expressly indicated otherwise.