The idea of legislative intent plays a central role in legal interpretation and constitutional theory, yet is repeatedly challenged as being an illusion. Refuting these challenges, this book develops a robust account of how and why legislatures form intentions, and the importance of these intentions to understanding law and parliamentary democracy.

Professor Richard Ekins is a Tutorial Fellow in Law at St John's College. He received his BA, LLB (Hons) and BA (Hons) degrees from The University of Auckland, before going on to read for the BCL, MPhil and DPhil at Oxford. He has worked as a Judge's Clerk at the High Court of New Zealand at Auckland, a Lecturer at Balliol College, and a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of Auckland.

• 1: Introduction


• 2: Sceptical Arguments


• 3: Joint Intention and Group Agency


• 4: Legislating Without Reasoning


• 5: What It Is to Legislate


• 6: The Legislative Assembly


• 7: Language Use and Intention


• 8: The Nature of Legislative Intent


• 9: Intentions in Interpretation