94 Sri L a n k a L a w R eports 1200012 Sri LR. Parliament, if he has any such interest in any such contract made by or on behalf of the state or a public corporation, left a big vacuum to ponder on several years later. Mr. Choksy made a further submission the effect of which would be to restrict the operation of Article 101 (1) by referring to the marginal note to the said Article which states the “Parliament may make provision in respect of elections." In other words Counsel submitted that in view of the marginal note Parliament can only make provision in respect of elections and not in respect other matters such as sitting and voting in Parliament. On this matter it should be borne in mind that marginal notes are not a proper guide in the Interpretation of Statutes. Maxwell on ‘The Interpretation of Statutes", Twelfth Edition by P. St. J. Langan at page 9 on marginal notes states thus: T h e notes often found printed at the side of Sections in an Act, which purport to summarize the effect of the Sections, have sometimes been used as an aid to construction. But the weight of the authorities is to the effect that they are not parts of the statute and so should not be considered, for they are "inserted not by Parliament nor under the authority of Parliament, but by irresponsible persons." This view was confirmed by the House of Lords in the case of Chandler v. D.P.P.01where Lord Reid at 789, 790 observed as follows: “In my view side notes cannot be used as an aid to construction. They are mere catchwords and I have never heard of it being supposed in recent times that an amendment to alter a side note could be proposed in either House of Parliament. Side notes in the original Bill are inserted by the draftsman. During the passage of the Bill through its various stages amendments to it or other reasons may make it desirable to alter a side note. In that event I have reason to believe that alterations is made by the appropriate officer of the House-no doubt in consultation with the draftsman. So side notes cannot be said to be enacted in the same sense as the long title or any part of the body of the Act."