Statutory ambiguity refers to a situation in which the wording or language used in a law or statute is unclear or open to different interpretations.
Full definition
The FLSA was meant to be construed narrowly, but
statutory ambiguity still existed as to whether the exemption included service advisors.
Clear statement rules are particularly appealing to textualists, because unlike most canons of statutory interpretation, which try to resolve
acknowledged statutory ambiguities, clear statement rules convert ambiguity into certainty.
One university library in Ontario, Canada struggled with
this statutory ambiguity.
Importantly, there is a lingering debate over whether «
statutory ambiguity» is or should remain the gateway to deference.