Legal Definitions - last antecedent rule

The last antecedent rule is a legal principle that helps courts interpret qualifying clauses in a sentence. According to this rule, a qualifying clause should be understood to refer only to the immediately preceding words or phrases.

For example, consider the sentence: "I will only eat apples or bananas grown in my garden." The last antecedent rule would suggest that the phrase "grown in my garden" only applies to bananas, not apples.

The Supreme Court first mentioned this rule in the 1799 case of Sims’ Lessee v. Irvine. However, recent Supreme Court decisions have shown that the rule is not always clear-cut and can be subject tointerpretation.

For instance, in the case of United States v. Hayes, the Court was divided on how to interpret a statutory provision on firearm possession. Justice Ginsburg refused to apply the last antecedent rule, while Justice Roberts argued that it should be followed.

Overall, the last antecedent rule is a tool that courts can use to help them interpret complex legal language. However, it is not always applicable and may require further analysis in some cases.