LEGALESE 101: “person”
(take this to a lawyer, i don’t want to debate this anymore)
When reading any contract or statute, Rule #1:
Go straight to the definitions…don’t ASSUME anything!
Q: does this apply to me?
A: it applies to a “person”
Q: how do they define “person”?
A: In CANADA, “person” always means “corporation”.
See Exhibits 1-3
Exhibit 1:
The federal ‘Interpretation Act’ defines “person” as a “corporation”
(… “includes” is exclusionary…)
Therefore, every time you read “person” in Crown legislation, it means “corporation”…. commerce… contract…
It does NOT mean “human/man/ trans/individual/cow” just because you want it to, or you think it should, or because YOUR Dictionary says so…
If the statute says “person is a cow”, then “person is a cow” in that Statute….
i.e., if you are a “cow”, the statute applies to you, if you are NOT, it doesn’t.
Case Closed… next Exhibit…
Exhibit 2:
However, “person” can be redefined in another statute.
For example, in The Municipal Act, “person” means a “municipality”.
They TELL you that at the very start…
Defn’s:
“municipality” is an area with incorporated inhabitants… ok, so…
Q: are you an “inhabitant”?
Q: are you “incorporated”?
Both words are undefined – don’t assume!
Exhibit 3:
Weasels can change their minds in the MIDDLE of an Act if they choose to… later on, “municipality” means TWO things… an area OR a business.
HOWEVER…
“geographical area” is WeaselSpeak for “service area”… they “service” the area, they don’t “own” it… again, don’t assume, don’t presume…
BONUS ROUND:
Remember “or” is a weasel conjunction word… in this case, joining 2 opposing things (land & mammon).
Which one are they meaning in the Act? land? business?
Both?
Are you supposed to guess?
2nd BONUS ROUND!
If you read it carefully, it says “a municipality is (only) a reference”.
“Woe unto you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge….” (Luke 11:52)
