The best interpreter of a statute is the statute itself.

Explanation

Before resorting to external aids, every provision of the statute must be compared with every other; the statute is its own best expositor.

Where this applies

• We should look at the entire statute to understand what any part of it means.
• Before going to outside sources, compare every provision of the law with every other.
• The statute itself is the best guide to understanding its own meaning.

See also

• 10.1.2 The best interpretation is drawn from what goes before and what follows.
• 10.1.3 The whole is preferred to any single part.