# Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954, Section 38: Construction of “shall” and “may”.


In an enactment passed or made after the commencement of this Act, the expression “shall” shall be construed as imperative and the expression “may” as permissive and empowering.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/apni/1954/33/section/38 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/interpretation-act-northern-ireland-1954/section-38
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.