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Interpretation Act 1978
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17 Definitions
In an Act:
Act means an Act passed by the Legislative Assembly and
assented to under the Northern Territory (Self-Government)
Act 1978 (Cth), and includes:
(a) a Territory Ordinance; and
(b) an Ordinance or Act of South Australia in its application to the
Territory; and
(c) a part of an Act.
Acting Administrator means a person appointed under the
Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978 (Cth) to act in the
office of Administrator.
ADI means an authorised deposit-taking institution as defined in
section 5(1) of the Banking Act 1959 (Cth).
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Administrative Arrangements Order means an Administrative
Arrangements Order made under section 35 and notified under
section 36.
Administrator means the Administrator of the Territory, and
includes an acting Administrator.
adult means an individual who is at least 18 years old.
affidavit means an affidavit made in accordance with the Oaths,
Affidavits and Declarations Act 2010.
Agency has the meaning in section 18A(1).
appropriation, see section 3(1) of the Financial Management
Act 1995.
ASIC means the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission continued in existence under the ASIC Act.
ASIC Act means the Australian Securities and Investments
Commission Act 2001 (Cth).
Associate Judge means an Associate Judge as defined in
section 9(1) of the Supreme Court Act 1979.
Attorney-General has the same meaning as in section 7 of the
Law Officers Act 1978.
Auditor-General has the same meaning as in the Audit Act 1995.
Australian Crime Commission means the Australian Crime
Commission established by section 7 of the Australian Crime
Commission Act 2002 (Cth).
bank means an ADI that is permitted under the Banking Act 1959
(Cth) to assume or use:
(a) the word bank, banker or banking; or
(b) any other word (whether or not in English) that is of like import
to a word mentioned in paragraph (a).
bank cheque or banker's cheque means a cheque that an ADI
draws on itself.
building society means an ADI that is permitted under the Banking
Act 1959 (Cth) to assume or use:
(a) the expression building society; or
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(b) any other expression (whether or not in English) that is of like
import to the expression mentioned in paragraph (a).
business day means a day other than:
(a) a Saturday or Sunday; or
(b) a day that is a public holiday in the place in which any relevant
act is to be done or may be done (other than a public holiday
that is part of a day).
calendar month means a period commencing at the beginning of
any day of a named month and ending:
(a) at the end of the day before the corresponding day of the next
named month; or
(b) if there is no such corresponding day – at the end of the next
named month.
calendar year means the year commencing on 1 January.
Central Holding Authority means the Central Holding Authority
established under the Financial Management Act 1995.
Chief Health Officer, see section 4 of the Public and
Environmental Health Act 2011.
Chief Judge, see section 3 of the Local Court Act 2015.
Chief Justice, see section 9(1) of the Supreme Court Act 1979.
Civil and Administrative Tribunal means the Northern Territory
Civil and Administrative Tribunal established under the Northern
Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2014.
Commissioner of Correctional Services means the person
holding or occupying the office of Commissioner of Correctional
Services mentioned in section 17 of the Correctional Services
Act 2014.
Commissioner of Police means the Commissioner of Police
appointed or holding office under the Police Administration
Act 1978.
commissioner for oaths, see section 3 of the Oaths, Affidavits
and Declarations Act 2010.
Interpretation Act 1978 9
committed for trial, in relation to a person, means:
(a) committed into the custody of the Commissioner of
Correctional Services, or the Chief Executive Officer (as
defined in section 19 of the Public Sector Employment and
Management Act 1993) of the Agency responsible for youth
justice, with a view to being tried before a judge and jury; or
(b) granted bail under the Bail Act 1982 to appear and be tried
before a judge and jury.
Commonwealth means the Commonwealth of Australia.
Commonwealth Act means an Act passed by the Parliament of
the Commonwealth.
Consolidated Revenue Account means the Central Holding
Authority.
contravene includes fail to comply with.
Corporations Act 2001 means the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).
court of competent jurisdiction means a court or tribunal having
jurisdiction to hear and determine the legal proceeding mentioned
in the Act in which the expression occurs.
credit union has the same meaning as in section 47 of the
Financial Sector Reform (Northern Territory) Act 1999.
Criminal Code means the Criminal Code Act 1983, Schedule I.
de facto partner has the meaning in section 19A(3).
de facto relationship has the meaning in section 19A(3).
department means a department of the Public Service of the
document includes:
(a) any of, or part of any of, the following things:
(i) paper or other material on which there is writing;
(ii) a map, plan, drawing or photograph;
(iii) paper or other material on which there are marks,
figures, symbols or perforations having a meaning for
persons qualified to interpret them;
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(iv) an article or any material from which sounds, images or
writings are capable of being reproduced with or without
the aid of another article or device;
(v) an article on which information has been stored or
recorded, either mechanically or electronically;
(vi) any other record or information; and
(b) a copy, reproduction or duplicate, or part of a copy,
reproduction or duplicate, of a thing mentioned in
paragraph (a).
Electoral Commission means the Northern Territory Electoral
Commission established by the Electoral Act 2004.
Electoral Commissioner means the person holding or occupying
the office of Electoral Commissioner established by section 314 of
the Electoral Act 2004.
estate includes any estate or interest, charge, right, title, claim,
demand, lien or encumbrance at law or in equity.
Executive Council means the Executive Council of the Territory as
established under section 33 of the Northern Territory (Self-
Government) Act 1978 (Cth).
external territory means a Territory, other than the Australian
Capital Territory, the Jervis Bay Territory or the Northern Territory,
for the government of which as a Territory provision is made by a
Commonwealth Act.
Family Court means the Federal Circuit and Family Court of
Australia (Division 1) under the Federal Circuit and Family Court of
Australia Act 2021 (Cth).
Federal Circuit Court means the Federal Circuit and Family Court
of Australia (Division 2) under the Federal Circuit and Family Court
of Australia Act 2021 (Cth).
Federal Circuit Court and Family Court of Australia, see
section 7(1) of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia
Act 2021 (Cth).
Federal Court means the Federal Court of Australia created by
section 5 of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 (Cth).
financial year means the year ending on 30 June.
Interpretation Act 1978 11
friendly society has the same meaning as in section 48 of the
Financial Sector Reform (Northern Territory) Act 1999.
function includes duty.
Gazette, Government Gazette, Northern Territory Government
Gazette or Gazette of the Northern Territory means the
Government Gazette of the Territory.
Gazette notice means a notice published in the Gazette.
Government Printer includes a person printing with the authority of
the Territory.
Health Practitioner Regulation National Law means:
(a) the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law:
(i) as in force from time to time, set out in the Schedule to
the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law
Act 2009 (Qld); and
(ii) as it applies as a law of the Territory, a State or another
Territory (with or without modification); or
(b) the law of a State or another Territory that substantially
corresponds to the law mentioned in paragraph (a).
Note for definition Health Practitioner Regulation National Law
The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law is applied as a law of the
Territory by the Health Practitioner Regulation (National Uniform Legislation)
Act 2009.
husband has the meaning in section 19A(2).
ICAC means the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption
established by section 17 of the Independent Commissioner
Against Corruption Act 2017.
Imperial Act means an Act passed by the Parliament of the United
Kingdom.
indictable offence means:
(a) an offence that is an indictable offence under section 3(2) of
the Criminal Code; or
(b) an act or omission committed outside the Territory that would
be an indictable offence under paragraph (a) if it were
committed in the Territory.
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indictment includes information.
individual means a natural person.
infant means a person who has not attained the age of 18 years.
insert, in relation to a provision, includes substitute.
instrument of a legislative or administrative character includes
regulations, rules, by-laws, orders, determinations, proclamations,
awards, documents and authorities made, granted or issued under
a power conferred by an Act.
justice of the peace means a justice of the peace within the
meaning of the Justices of the Peace Act 1991.
land includes all messuages, tenements and hereditaments,
corporeal and incorporeal, of any tenure or description and
whatever may be the estate or interest in the land.
law of the Territory means:
(a) an Act; or
(b) an instrument of a legislative character; or
(c) an existing law of the Territory within the meaning of
section 57 of the Northern Territory (Self-Government)
Act 1978 (Cth) that is not a law mentioned in paragraph (a)
or (b); or
(d) the common law.
lawyer means an Australian lawyer as defined in section 5(a) of the
Legal Profession Act 2006.
legal practitioner means an Australian legal practitioner as defined
in section 6(a) of the Legal Profession Act 2006.
legislation website means:
(a) the website with the address legislation.nt.gov.au maintained
by the Agency; or
(b) an alternative website authorised in writing by the Chief
Executive Officer of the Agency.
Legislative Assembly means the Legislative Assembly of the
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Local Court means the Local Court of the Northern Territory under
the Local Court Act 2015.
Local Court Judge, means a Judge or acting Judge as defined in
section 3 of the Local Court Act 2015.
local government area means an area as defined in section 7 of
the Local Government Act 2019.
local government council means a council as defined in section 7
of the Local Government Act 2019.
marriage has the meaning in section 19A(2).
medical practitioner means a person registered under the Health
Practitioner Regulation National Law to practise in the medical
profession (other than as a student).
member of the Police Force means a member of the Police Force
appointed or holding office under the Police Administration
Act 1978.
minister has the meaning in section 19(1).
Ministerial office, see section 4(1) of the Northern Territory
(Self-Government) Act 1978 (Cth).
monetary unit means, during a financial year, the amount, in
dollars, calculated for that year in accordance with the Monetary
Units Act 2018.
month means a calendar month.
Northern Territory Government Account means the official ADI
account opened under the Financial Management Act 1995.
notified in the Gazette, in relation to an instrument, means that
notification of the making of the instrument and the following
information is published in the Gazette:
(a) the title of the Act under which the instrument is published;
(b) the provision of the Act under which the instrument is required
to be published that provides the power for the making of the
instrument;
(c) the title of the instrument;
(d) the date of making of the instrument.
Interpretation Act 1978 14
NTCAT means the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative
Tribunal established under section 7 of the Northern Territory Civil
and Administrative Tribunal Act 2014.
oath means an oath made in accordance with the Oaths, Affidavits
and Declarations Act 2010.
Ordinance includes:
(a) an Act; and
(b) an Ordinance or Act of South Australia in its application to the
Parliament means the Legislative Assembly.
party includes a body politic and a body corporate.
penalty unit has the same meaning as in the Penalty Units
Act 2009.
person includes a body politic and a body corporate.
Note for definition of person
Section 24AA also deals with references to persons generally.
police officer means a member of the Police Force.
prescribed means prescribed by the Act in which the word is used
or by a statutory instrument made, granted or issued under that Act.
proclamation means proclamation by the Administrator published
in the Gazette.
public holiday means a day or part of a day specified in, or
appointed under, the Public Holidays Act 1981 to be observed as a
public holiday.
public place includes the following:
(a) a place to which free access is permitted to the public with the
express or tacit consent of the owner or occupier of the place;
(b) a place to which the public are admitted on payment of
money;
(c) a road, street, footway, court, alley or thoroughfare that the
public are allowed to use, even if the road, street, footway,
court, alley or thoroughfare is on private property.
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public sector employee means an employee within the meaning
of the Public Sector Employment and Management Act 1993.
real property includes a lease of land.
Registrar-General means the person holding or occupying the
office of Registrar-General mentioned in section 5(1) of the
Registration Act 1927.
regulatory offence means an offence specified in an Act or
subordinate legislation to be a regulatory offence.
revenue unit, see the Revenue Units Act 2009.
see, when used to define a term, means the term has the same
meaning as in the law or provision mentioned in that definition.
sitting day, of the Legislative Assembly, means a day on which the
Assembly meets.
Speaker means the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
spouse has the meaning in section 19A(1).
State means a State of the Commonwealth.
statutory corporation means a corporation, commission or
authority incorporated by name for a public purpose by a law of the
Territory, but does not include a local government council.
statutory declaration means a statutory declaration made in
accordance with the Oaths, Affidavits and Declarations Act 2010.
statutory instrument means an instrument of a legislative or
administrative character.
stepchild has the meaning in section 19A(4).
step-relative has the meaning in section 19A(5).
subordinate legislation means:
(a) regulations, rules or by-laws to which section 63 or 63A
applies; or
(b) a statutory instrument that, under an Act, is an instrument to
which section 63 or 63A applies.
summary offence, see section 3(3) of the Criminal Code.
Interpretation Act 1978 16
Supreme Court means the Supreme Court of the Northern
Territory of Australia established under the Supreme Court
Act 1979.
Supreme Court Judge means a Judge as defined in section 9(1)
of the Supreme Court Act 1979.
table, in the Legislative Assembly, means to lay before the
Assembly.
Territory means a Territory of the Commonwealth.
the Agency has the meaning in section 18A(2).
the Chief Executive Officer means the person holding or
occupying the office of the Chief Executive Officer of the Agency
administering the provision of the Act in which the expression
occurs.
the Minister has the meaning in section 19(2).
the Regulations means the regulations made under the Act in
which the expression occurs.
the Territory means, according to the context, the body politic
established by the Northern Territory (Self-Government)
Act 1978 (Cth) as the Northern Territory of Australia or the
geographical area constituting the Northern Territory of Australia.
this Act includes a statutory instrument under the Act in which the
expression occurs.
Treasurer means the Treasurer of the Northern Territory.
Under Treasurer means the Chief Executive Officer, within the
meaning of the Public Sector Employment and Management
Act 1993, of the Agency administering the Financial Management
Act 1995.
Valuer-General means the person holding or occupying the office
of the Valuer-General mentioned in section 5(1) of the Valuation of
Land Act 1963.
widow has the meaning in section 19A(2).
widower has the meaning in section 19A(2).
wife has the meaning in section 19A(2).
year means a period of 12 months.
Interpretation Act 1978 17