Statutes in Pari Materia External Aids to Interpretation of Statutes LLB

‘Pari Materia’ means ‘On the same subject or matter’.
So, statutes in Pari Materia means statutes that cover the same subject or same matter.
For example, the Indian Contract Act, and the Sale of Goods Act, both deal with contracts – so at a higher level, they have the same subject.
The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, & the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, both deal with criminal law and procedure – so at a higher level, both have the same subject.
A point to remember here is that if we go into the specific details, these statutes address different aspects of the same subject
– while the Indian Contract Act covers a wider range of contracts – the sale of goods act is more focused on contractual transactions associated with the sale of goods.
The basic idea behind the principle of statutes in Pari Materia is that if there are two statutes covering the same or similar subject matter, they should be interpreted in the same or similar manner.
For example, you cannot have one rule for general contracts under the contract act and another rule for contracts under the sale of goods act – otherwise there will be contradiction and confusion.
So, statutes covering the same or similar subject should be interpreted in the same or similar manner.
To identify statutes in pari materia, the Delhi high court specified some tests in its decision in the Raees Uz Zama vs State of Delhi case.
It said that if two or more statutes have been given a collective title – like criminal laws or Contract laws – it signifies that the set of statutes are in pari materia.
Or if two statutes have to be construed as one – for example, the companies act and the companies amendment acts have to be construed as one act – then such acts are in pari materia.
Acts having short titles that the identical (apart from the calendar year) – for example, the finance act 2020, finance act 2021, 2022, 2023… all of these have identical titles except for the year – which means these statutes are in pari materia.
Even the companies act 1956 and the companies act 2013 are statutes in pari materia since they have the same title but different years.
Different acts that deal with the same subject matter on the same lines – for example, The Industrial Disputes Act and The Trade Unions Act, both relate to labor relations and workers' rights.
Both contribute to the framework governing industrial relations. Therefore, they are statutes in pari materia.
The Sale of Goods Act and The Consumer Protection Act, both deal with the rights of buyers and sellers, and warranties and other conditions regarding goods.
Both Acts are designed to protect the interests of buyers and sellers in the marketplace.
With regards to how to use this principle of ‘statutes in pari materia’ in interpretation, the supreme court has provided clarification in various decisions.
Two statutes dealing with the same subject matter must be interpreted harmoniously
The language of one statute can be clarified by reference to the other statute in Pari Materia
The doctrine of Pari Materia applies even when the statutes are not in Pari Materia in every respect. i.e., they are not exactly same.