Interpretation of statutes is about understanding enacted law-texts, that is, making sense of the legislative scheme applicable to the situation at hand. Statutory Interpretation: An Introduction for Students aims to teach students to interpret and apply legislation within the total legal environment.

Part 1 (‘Statute law’) introduces students to the different types and categories of legislation, the structural components of legislation, the sometimes confusing ‘codes’ used in legislative texts, and the challenges of applying old order legislation together with new legislation. Part 2 (‘How legislation is interpreted’) comprises a chapter on the theoretical foundations of interpretation and an overview of the basic approaches to statutory interpretation in South Africa, and a chapter dealing with the practical application of the rules of interpretation. Part 3 (‘Judicial law-making during interpretation, and peremptory and directory provisions’) deals with day-to-day applications, and Part 4 is a basic introduction to constitutional interpretation. Students are also introduced to less well-known aspects of statutory interpretation, such as deeming clauses, the suspension of legislation, sunset clauses, legalese, and the counter-majoritarian difficulty.

The 6th edition of Statutory Interpretation: An Introduction for Students is a user-friendly introduction to the basic principles of statutory interpretation. It is aimed mainly at undergraduate students, but practitioners will also find it useful. The rules and principles of statutory interpretation are explained using hypothetical situations and practical examples from case law and legislation.

Sedert 1994 het die nuwe grondwetlike orde die tradisionele en ortodokse reels van wetsuitleg soos handomkeer verander. Daar is now 'n nuwe woordeskat: Plain language-wetsopstelling en fundamentele waardes; grondwetlike oppergesag en menseregte; deursigtigheid en verantwoordbaarheid. Nou is wetsuitleg noodwendig beginselgedrewe en waardebelaai. In die uitgawe van wetsuitleg: 'n inleiding vir studente word al hierdie veranderings aan die hand van die 1996-Grondwet verduidelik. Die hoofstukindeling poog om tipiese wetsuitlegleerplanne aan Suid-Afrikaanse universiteite te weerspieel. Eerstens word studente bekend gestel aan wat wetgewing is, hoe dit in werking tree, en hoe dit tot 'n einde kom. Die invloed van die grondwet op wetsuitleg, asook 'n oorsig van die basiese wetsuitlegbenaderings, word bespreek. Die hoofstuk oor die teoretiese grondslae van wetsuitleg bevat ook kort besprekings oor die invloed van postmodernisme, dekonstruksie en die Critical Legal Studies-beweging op die lees en verstaan van tekste. Daarna word die toepassing van die praktiese (nuts and bolts) reels van wetsuitleg verduidelik. Aspekte soos grondwetlike simboliek en die eise van sosiale geregtigheid word ook in die laaste hoofstuk oor grondwetuitleg bespreek. Die handboek is 'n gebruikersvriendelike inleiding tot die basiese beginsels van wetsuitleg, en is hoofsaaklik op voorgraadse studente gemik. 'n Verklarende woordelys, die interpretasiewet 33 van 1957 en die Handves van regte in die grondwet word vir die gerief van studente ingesluit.