The Acts Interpretation Amendment Bill 2011 has been passed by Parliament and is awaiting Royal Assent.

UPDATE: Date of Assent 27 June 2011 . Download Act

Download consolidated Acts Interpretation Act 1901

The Bill amends the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 which contains definitions, principles and rules of interpretation that apply to all Commonwealth laws. It is the first comprehensive change to the Act since 1901.

It restructures the Act as well as including new definitions and updating existing definitions.

Concepts in the original Act have been modernised. For example the Bill adjusts the definition of ‘document’ to include things like maps, plans, drawings and photographs.

The Bill deals with participation in meetings by telephone and other methods of communication, for example, Skype or video-conferencing. The amendment provides that all participants may be given permission to participate by telephone or other means of communication. It also clarifies that a person who participates by telephone or other means of communication can be considered part of the quorum of the meeting. New provisions allow for a meeting to be held in two or more places at the same time. This allows a meeting to take place where the participants are in different locations and provides meeting organisers with more flexibility.

The Bill also inserts new definitions. For example:

Business day is defined as ‘a day that is not a Saturday, a Sunday or a public holiday in the place concerned’.

Penalty unit as the same meaning as in section 4AA of the Crimes Act 1914. This is a term widely used in Commonwealth legislation for both criminal and civil penalties.

Refrences to Australian Standards are also clarified.