What is meant by interpretive canons and name three commonly used ones?

• A. Canons are binding rules that require agencies to follow specific procedures.
• B. Canons are general standards for evaluating evidence in trials.
• C. Canons are rules used to interpret statutory text; examples: Expressio unius est exclusio alterius, Ejusdem generis, Noscitur a sociis.
• D. Canons are exceptions to statutory drafting rules that allow implicit amendments.

Answer: (C)

Interpretive canons are tools used to interpret statutory text when the wording is unclear or misleading; they help reveal legislative intent by guiding how language should be read in context. For example, Expressio unius est exclusio alterius means that when something is expressly mentioned, other possible items are implied to be excluded, signaling how to treat lists or categories. Ejusdem generis works on the opposite side of the coin: when a list of specific items is followed by general terms, those general terms are understood to cover only things of the same kind as the items listed. Noscitur a sociis relies on the surrounding words to illuminate a single word’s meaning, so a term is interpreted in light of its neighboring terms rather than in isolation.

This set of tools is the best fit because it directly describes how statutes are read and how judges infer meaning from language, rather than describing procedural rules or evidentiary standards found in other areas of law. The other descriptions refer to different concepts—binding agency procedures, rules of evidence in trials, or implicit amendments to drafting rules—without capturing the way interpreters use these maxims to resolve ambiguity in statutory texts.