Legal Definitions - canon of construction

A canon of construction is a fundamental rule or principle that is accepted and used to interpret legal documents, such as contracts or statutes.

• The "plain meaning" canon of construction holds that the words of a legal document should be given their ordinary and usual meaning, unless there is a clear indication that a different meaning was intended.
• The "ejusdem generis" canon of construction holds that when a list of specific items is followed by a more general term, the general term should be interpreted to include only items of the same type as those specifically listed.

These examples illustrate how canons of construction are used to interpret legal documents. By applying these rules, judges can determine the intended meaning of a document and resolve disputes between parties.