purposivism

Purposivism is an approach to interpreting laws that emphasizes understanding the purpose or intent behind a law rather than just its literal words. It involves looking at the broader goals lawmakers aimed to achieve and applying the law in a way that best advances those objectives. This approach helps ensure laws are used in a manner consistent with their underlying principles, especially when the wording might be ambiguous or outdated. Essentially, purposivism seeks to interpret laws in line with their intended societal purpose, providing flexibility to adapt legal applications to modern contexts while respecting legislative intent.