Applicability of the General Clauses Act, 1897 for the interpretation of the Constitution

Applicability of the General Clauses Act, 1897 for the interpretation of the Constitution:

Article 367(1) of the Constitution states that the General Clauses Act, 1897 (subject to the adaptations and modification made under Article 372) shall apply for the interpretation of the Constitution. The relevant extract is as under:

“367(1) Unless the context otherwise requires, the General Clauses Act, 1897, shall, subject to any adaptations and modifications that may be made therein under Article 372, apply for the interpretation of this Constitution as it applies for the interpretation of an Act of the Legislature of the Dominion of India.”

69.2 Thus, the General Clause Act applies only for the interpretation of constitution. The General Clauses Act defines various terms in section 3. These definitions will apply for the interpretation when these words are employed in the Constitution. Apart from the definition, Section 16 (power to appoint to include power to suspend or dismiss), Section 21 (Power to issue to include power to add to, amend, vary or rescind Notification, Orders, Rules or Bye-laws), etc. which are general rules of construction and which are otherwise in accord with the common law may also apply for the interpretation of the Constitution.

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Therefore, perhaps, the other matters such as the savings in the case of repeal (Section 6), revival of repeal enactments (Section 7), construction of references to the repealed enactments (Section 8), continuation of order issued under the repealed enactment and re-enacted (Section 24), etc. which are not related to interpretation may not apply by virtue of Article 367.

Further, Section 6 applies only to repeal of an enactment. Enactment is defined under Section 3(19) of the General Clauses Act to include regulation or any provision contained in any Act or regulation. However, Constitution is not an enactment. The Constitution is supreme and is, in fact, the foundation of all the enactment. This has been observed by the Law Commission in its 60th Report on the General Clauses Act, 1897 in the context of Section 8 (construction of references of repealed enactment). The relevant extract of the report is as under:

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“1.30.Effect of section 8 on Article 367.- Will section 8 of the General Clauses Act, which provides that when an enactment is repealed and re-enacted, references to the old enactment will be construed as references to that, re-enacted one, make any difference? We do not think so. It should be noted that the words “unless the context otherwise requires” (in Article 367) mean that the General Clauses Act, section 8, is to be excluded. Even by its terms, section 8 of the General Clauses Act will not apply to the Constitution, because expression “enactment” (which occurs in section 8) would not take in the Constitution, which is not an “enactment”. The Constitution is supreme and is, in fact, the foundation of all enactments.”

Contrary view taken by the Allahabad High Court in the case of Farzand v. Mohand, AIR 1968 All 67(73).

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Source: Para no. 69 of Reliance Industries Vs State of Gujrat