What is meant by beneficial construction in statutory interpretation? Under what circumstances the rule of beneficial construction is generally…

Beneficial construction is not a strict rule of interpretation but rather a method used to interpret a statute liberally in order to give effect to the declared intention of the legislature, particularly when the statute is enacted to benefit a specific class of people. Beneficial construction will be applied to a statute, which brings into effect provisions for improving the conditions of certain classes of people who are under privileged or who have not been treated fairly in the past. In such cases it is permissible to give an extended meaning to words or clauses in enactments. But this can only be done when two constructions are reasonably possible and not when the words in a statute are quite unequivocal or clear. Thus, if the language of the statute is clear and unambiguous, the courts must follow the plain meaning and cannot stretch the language beyond its natural meaning.