Heydon's Case
- Case
- Heydon's Case
- Court
- Court of Exchequer (England)
- Year
- 1584
- Area
- Interpretation of statutes
- Summary
An early authority on interpretation: it directs courts to ask what mischief the law was meant to remedy — the origin of the purposive "mischief rule".
- Holding
Laid down the mischief rule of statutory interpretation: a statute is construed to suppress the mischief and advance the remedy that the legislature intended.