Every Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand shall be deemed, and taken to be a Public Act, and shall be judicially taken notice of as such, unless the contrary be expressly provided by the Act.

Every Act shall be divided into Sections if there be more enactments than one, which Sections shall be deemed to be substantive enactments, without any introductory words.

Every Act which shall not prescribe the time from which it is intended to take effect, and which shall have been assented to in Her Majesty’s name, shall come into operation on the day on which it shall receive the Governor’s assent.

Every Act which shall not prescribe the time from which it is intended to take effect, and which shall be reserved for the signification of Her Majesty’s pleasure thereon, shall come into operation on the day on which the Governor by Speech, Message, or Proclamation shall signify that Her Majesty has assented to the same.

The Clerk of the Executive Council of the Colony shall insert in every Act, immediately after the Title thereof, the day, month, and year when the same shall have been assented to by the Governor in Her Majesty’s name; and when any Act shall have been reserved by the Governor for the signification of Her Majesty’s pleasure thereon, then the day, month, and year on which the Governor by such Speech, Message, or Proclamation as aforesaid, shall have signified that Her Majesty has assented to such Act; and such date shall be taken to be a part of the Act, and to be the date of its commencement when no other commencement shall be therein provided.

Every Act may be altered, amended, or repealed, in the same Session of the General Assembly of New Zealand in which it may be passed.

Whenever any Act repealing in whole or in any part, any former Act shall be repealed, such last repeal shall not revive the Act or Provision before repealed, unless words be added reviving such Act or Provision.

Every Act having a Short Title may for all purposes be cited by such Short Title.

In the construction of all Acts, the words and expressions following shall have the meanings hereby assigned to them, unless there be something in the subject or context repugnant to such construction; that is to say,

The term “Her Majesty” shall include Her Majesty, her Heirs, and Successors.

The term “Governor” shall mean the person for the time being lawfully administering the Government of New Zealand.

The term “Governor in Council” shall mean the Governor with the advice and consent of the Executive Council of New Zealand.

The term “Constitution Act” shall mean an Act of the Imperial Parliament made and passed in the Session held in the fifteenth and sixteenth years of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Chapter 72, intituled “An Act to grant a Representative Constitution to the Colony of New Zealand.”

The term “Constitution Amendment Act” shall mean an Act of the Imperial Parliament made and passed in the Session held in the 20th and 21st years of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Chapter 53, intituled “An Act to Amend the Act for granting a Representative Constitution to the Colony of New Zealand.”

The terms “The Colony,” and “This Colony” shall severally mean the Colony of New Zealand, the boundaries whereof shall be deemed to include all Territories, Islands, and Countries lying between 33 degrees of South Latitude and 50 degrees of South Latitude and 162 degrees of East Longitude and 173 degrees of West Longitude, reckoning from the meridian of Greenwich.

The terms “Government Gazette” and “New Zealand Gazette,” shall mean the Gazette published by or under the authority of the Government of New Zealand.

The words “Oath,” and “Affidavit” shall include affirmation and declaration, and the word “Swear” shall include affirm and declare in the case of persons allowed by Law to affirm or declare instead of swearing.

Words importing the singular number only shall include the plural number, and words importing the plural number only shall include the singular number.

Words importing the Masculine Gender only shall include females.

The word “Month” shall mean calendar month.

This Act shall be deemed to apply to all Acts already, or to be hereafter, passed by the General Assembly of New Zealand, except the fifth section hereof which shall apply only to Acts to be hereafter passed.

This Act may for all purposes be cited as the “Interpretation Act, 1858.”