4 ms·
At least in the US, it's not the drafters' intent that matters, but the intent of the legislators who voted on it. (Legislators actually have lawmaking power.
by bjt 3y ago
At least in the US, it's not the drafters' intent that matters, but the intent of the legislators who voted on it. (Legislators actually have lawmaking power. Drafters are usually unelected staff or even lobbyists.)
When a statute is ambiguous, courts do sometimes look at the congressional record (eg floor debates) to determine intent.
- istjohn 3y agoTo add on that, there are several competing theories of statutory interpretation in US legal thought. It's a very complex subject. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statutory_interpretation#Statutory_interpretation_methods https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statutory_interpretation#Sta...