Opinion ID: 2352128
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: principles of statutory construction applicable here

Text: An elaborate exposition of the principles of statutory construction is not necessary here. Under 1 Del.C. § 303, statutes, including criminal statutes, shall be construed according to the common and approved usage of the English language. Under 11 Del.C. § 221(c), a criminal statute shall have its commonly accepted meaning, and may be defined as appropriate to fulfill the purposes of the provision as declared in § 201 of this title, which outlines the general purposes of the Criminal Code. If it is possible to do so, statutes must be construed to achieve a common sense result, a result which is in harmony with constitutional principles, and to avoid a construction which would lead to unreasonable or absurd results. See Snell v. Engineered Sys. & Designs, Inc., Del.Supr., 669 A.2d 13, 20-21 (1995).