The long title (properly, the title in some jurisdictions) is the formal title appearing at the head of a statute (such as an Act of Parliament or of Congress) or other legislative instrument. The long title is intended to provide a summary description of the purpose or scope of the instrument; it contrasts with the short title, which is merely intended to provide a useful name when referring to it.
Like other descriptive components of an Act (such as the preamble, section headings, side notes, and short title), the long title seldom affects the operative provisions of an Act, except where the operative provisions are unclear or ambiguous and the long title provides a clear statement of the legislature's intention.
In the United Kingdom, the long title is important since, under the procedures of Parliament, a bill cannot be amended to go outside the scope of its long title. For that reason, modern long titles tend to be rather vague, ending with the formulation "and for connected purposes". The long title for older Acts is sometimes termed its rubric because it was sometimes printed in red.[citation needed]
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