Which body has the power to interpret laws?

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Question restatement: Which body has the power to interpret laws?

Option a: Legislature. While the legislature creates and amends laws, its primary function is lawmaking, not interpreting legal texts. Interpretation can occur in the process of drafting or during debates, but authoritative interpretation and resolution of ambiguous provisions typically lies elsewhere.

Option b: Officers. Civil or government officers are agents who implement and administer laws and policies. They do not hold the primary authority to interpret laws in the sense of resolving legal questions for disputes or declaring statutory meanings; their role is application and administration, often guided by higher judicial or statutory interpretation.

Option c: Judiciary. The judiciary is tasked with interpreting laws, resolving disputes, and determining the constitutionality of statutes and executive actions. This body applies legal standards to specific cases and establishes precedents that clarify statutory meaning.

Option d: Executive. The executive branch enforces laws and administers government programs. While executives may issue interpretations for enforcement purposes or rely on legal opinions, the indispensable and formal interpretive authority over statutes rests with the judiciary, not the executive.

In summary, the core function of interpreting laws—solving legal questions, clarifying ambiguous provisions, and testing constitutionality—is associated with the judiciary, rather than with the legislature, officers, or the executive. The other options describe roles centered on creation, administration, or enforcement, not primary interpretation.

Business Law (052025-SVN)

Which body has the power to interpret laws?

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