Word "any" - Indian Laws - General

Meaning of word, any In Black s Law Dictionary it is explained thus, word, any has a diversity of meaning and may be employed to indicate- all or,every as well as some or one and its meaning in a given statute depends upon the context and the subject- matter of the statute . Lucknow Development Authority v. M.K. Gupta- [ 1994 (11) TMI 364 - SUPREME COURT ] In Oxford English Dictionary, at p. 378 of which, we find the meaning of any given thus: In affirmative sentences, it asserts, concerning a being or thing of the sort named, without limitation as to which, and thus collectively of every one of them . One of the illustration given is I challenge anyone to contradict my assertions. Certainly, this does not mean that one only is challenged; but that all are challenged. It is abundantly clear therefore that any one is not infrequently used to mean every one . THE CHIEF INSPECTOR OF MINES AND ANOTHER VERSUS. LALA KARAM CHAND THAPAR ETC.- [ 1961 (2) TMI 66 - SUPREME COURT (LB) ] In Shri Balaganesan Metals vs. M.N. Shanmugham Chetty Ors.,- [ 1987 (4) TMI 479 - SUPREME COURT ] , the word any came up for consideration of this Court. It was held that the word any indicates all or every as well as some or one depending on the context and the subject matter of the statue. In Black s Law Dictionary (sixth Edition) the word any is defined (at p.94) as under:- Any. Some; one out of many; an indefinite number. One indiscriminately of whatever kind or quantity. One or some (indefinitely). Any does not necessarily mean only one person, but may have reference to more than one or to many. Word Any has a diversity of meaning and may be employed to indicate all or every as well as some or one and its meaning in a given statute depends upon the context and the subject matter of the statute. It is often synonymous with either , every , or all . Its generality may be restricted by the context; thus, the giving of a right to do some act at any time is commonly construed as meaning within a reasonable time; and the words any other following the enumeration of particular classes are to be read as other such like, and include only others of like kind or character. The word any may have one of the several meanings, according to the context and the circumstances. It may mean all ; each ; every ; some ; or one or many out of several . The word any may be used to indicate the quantity such as some , out of many , an infinite number . It may also be used to indicate quality or nature of the noun which it qualifies as an adjective such as all or every . (See the Law Lexicon, P. Ramanatha Aiyar , Second Edition, at p.116). Principles of Statutory Interpretation by Justice G.P. Singh (9th Edition, 2004) states (at p.302) When a word is not defined in the Act itself, it is permissible to refer to dictionaries to find out the general sense in which that word is understood in common parlance. However, in selecting one out of the various meanings of a word, regard must always be had to the context as it is a fundamental rule that the meanings of words and expressions used in an Act must take their colour from the context in which they appear . Therefore, when the context makes the meaning of a word quite clear, it becomes unnecessary to search for and select a particular meaning out of the diverse meanings a word is capable of, according to lexicographers . K. PRABHAKARAN AND RAMESH SINGH DALAL VERSUS P. JAYARAJAN AND NAFE SINGH ORS. - [ 2005 (1) TMI 674 - SUPREME COURT ]