Last antecedent rule
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The last antecedent rule is a doctrine of interpretation of a statute, by which "any qualifying words or phrases refer to the language immediately preceding it." [1].
An exception to the rule is "common sense shows that it was meant to apply to something more distant or less obvious." [2]. In other words, another meaning would be plain. [3]
This rule is basically the same as used in contract interpretation, and is based in turn on the syntax of the English language.
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