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The Statute Law Revision Act 1891 (54 & 55 Vict. c. 67) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that repealed various United Kingdom enactments which had ceased to be in force or had become necessary. The act was intended, in particular, to facilitate the preparation of the new edition of the revised edition of the statutes, then in progress.
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In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed. Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, published in the late 18th-century, raised questions about the system and structure of the common law and the poor drafting and disorder of the existing statute book.[1]
In 1806, the Commission on Public Records passed a resolution requesting the production of a report on the best mode of reducing the volume of the statute book.[2] From 1810 to 1825, The Statutes of the Realm was published, providing for the first time the authoritative collection of acts.[2] In 1816, both Houses of Parliament, passed resolutions that an eminent lawyer with 20 clerks be commissioned to make a digest of the statutes, which was declared "very expedient to be done." However, this was never done.[3]
At the start of the parliamentary session in 1853, Lord Cranworth announced his intention to the improvement of the statute law and in March 1853, appointed the Board for the Revision of the Statute Law to repeal expired statutes and continue consolidation, with a wider remit that included civil law.[2] The Board issued three reports, recommending the creation of a permanent body for statute law reform.
In 1854, Lord Cranworth appointed the Royal Commission for Consolidating the Statute Law to consolidate existing s and enactments of English law.[2] The Commission made four reports.
An alternative approach, focusing on expunging obsolete laws from the statute book, followed by consolidation, was proposed by Peter Locke King MP, who was heavily critical of the expenditure of the Commission and the lack of results.[4] This approach was taken by the Repeal of Obsolete Statutes Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. 64), considered to be the first Statute Law Revision Act.[2]
On 17 February 1860, the Attorney General, Sir Richard Bethell told the House of Commons that he had engaged Sir Francis Reilly and A. J. Wood to expurgate the statute book of all acts which, though not expressly repealed, were not in force, working backwards from the present time.[2]
| Year
passed |
Title | Citation | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 | Statute Law Revision Act 1861 | 24 & 25 Vict. c. 101 | Repealed or amended over 800 enactments |
| 1863 | Statute Law Revision Act 1863 | 26 & 27 Vict. c. 125 | Repealed or amended over 1,600 enactments for England and Wales |
| 1867 | Statute Law Revision Act 1867 | 30 & 31 Vict. c. 59 | Repealed or amended over 1,380 enactments |
| 1870 | Statute Law Revision Act 1870 | 33 & 34 Vict. c. 69 | Repealed or amended over 250 enactments |
| 1871 | Promissory Oaths Act 1871 | 34 & 35 Vict. c. 48 | Repealed or amended almost 200 enactments |
| 1871 | Statute Law Revision Act 1871 | 34 & 35 Vict. c. 116 | Repealed or amended over 1,060 enactments |
| 1872 | Statute Law Revision Act 1872 | 35 & 36 Vict. c. 63 | Repealed or amended almost 490 enactments |
| 1872 | Statute Law (Ireland) Revision Act 1872 | 35 & 36 Vict. c. 98 | Repealed or amended over 1,050 enactments |
| 1872 | Statute Law Revision Act 1872 (No. 2) | 35 & 36 Vict. c. 97 | Repealed or amended almost 260 enactments |
| 1873 | Statute Law Revision Act 1873 | 36 & 37 Vict. c. 91 | Repealed or amended 1,225 enactments |
| 1874 | Statute Law Revision Act 1874 | 37 & 38 Vict. c. 35 | Repealed or amended over 490 enactments |
| 1874 | Statute Law Revision Act 1874 (No. 2) | 37 & 38 Vict. c. 96 | Repealed or amended almost 470 enactments |
| 1875 | Statute Law Revision Act 1875 | 38 & 39 Vict. c. 66 | Repealed or amended over 1,400 enactments |
| 1876 | Statute Law Revision (Substituted Enactments) Act 1876 | 39 & 40 Vict. c. 20 | Updated references to repealed acts |
| 1878 | Statute Law Revision (Ireland) Act 1878 | 41 & 42 Vict. c. 57 | Repealed or amended over 460 enactments passed by the Parliament of Ireland |
| 1878 | Statute Law Revision Act 1878 | 41 & 42 Vict. c. 79 | Repealed or amended over 90 enactments. |
| 1879 | Statute Law Revision (Ireland) Act 1879 | 42 & 43 Vict. c. 24 | Repealed or amended over 460 enactments passed by the Parliament of Ireland |
| 1879 | Civil Procedure Acts Repeal Act 1879 | 42 & 43 Vict. c. 59 | Repealed or amended over 130 enactments |
| 1881 | Statute Law Revision and Civil Procedure Act 1881 | 44 & 45 Vict. c. 59 | Repealed or amended or amended almost 100 enactments relating to civil procedure. |
| 1883 | Statute Law Revision Act 1883 | 46 & 47 Vict. c. 39 | Repealed or amended over 475 enactments |
| 1883 | Statute Law Revision and Civil Procedure Act 1883 | 46 & 47 Vict. c. 49 | Repealed or amended over 475 enactments |
| 1887 | Statute Law Revision Act 1887 | 50 & 51 Vict. c. 59 | Repealed or amended over 200 enactments |
| 1887 | Sheriffs Act 1887 | 50 & 51 Vict. c. 55 | Repealed or amended almost 75 enactments related to sheriffs |
| 1887 | Coroners Act 1887 | 50 & 51 Vict. c. 71 | Repealed or amended over 30 enactments related to coroners |
| 1888 | Statute Law Revision Act 1888 | 51 & 52 Vict. c. 3 | Repealed or amended 620 enactments |
| 1888 | Statute Law Revision (No. 2) Act 1888 | 51 & 52 Vict. c. 57 | Repealed or amended ? enactments |
| 1889 | Master and Servant Act 1889 | 52 & 53 Vict. c. 24 | Repealed or amended over 20 enactments related to master and servants |
| 1890 | Statute Law Revision Act 1890 | 53 & 54 Vict. c. 33 | Repealed or amended ? enactments |
| 1890 | Statute Law Revision (No. 2) Act 1890 | 53 & 54 Vict. c. 51 | Repealed or amended ? enactments |
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The Statute Law Revision Bill had its first reading in the House of Lords on 19 March 1891, introduced by the Lord Chancellor, Hardinge Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury.[5] The bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on 4 May 1891 and was committed to a committee of the whole house,[5] which met and reported on 8 May 1891, without amendments.[5] The bill had its third reading in the House of Lords on 11 May 1891 and passed, with amendments.[5]
The amended bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 12 May 1891.[6] The bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on 6 July 1891 and was committed to a select committee.[6] The bill faced opposition, which was withdrawn following assurances by the First Lord of the Treasury that the later portions of the bill would be dropped and that the subject of statute law revision would be considered by a joint committee in the next session.[7][2]
The select committee was appointed on 6 July 1891, consisting of 9 members with a quorum of three.[6]
| Name | Party | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| William Ambrose MP | Conservative | |
| H. H. Asquith MP | Liberal | |
| James Bryce MP | Liberal | |
| Douglas Coghill MP | Liberal Unionist | |
| Charles Isaac Elton MP | Conservative | |
| T. M. Healy MP | Irish Parliamentary Party | |
| George Howell MP | Liberal-Labour | |
| Sir Edward Clarke MP | Conservative | Solicitor General, Chair |
| Edward Whitley MP | Conservative | |
| Henry H. Fowler | Liberal | Added on 7 July 1891[6] |
The select committee made a special reported on 28 July 1891, with amendments.[6] In their report, the committee observed that many statutes for Ireland were obsolete and recommended the passing of consolidation bills for Ireland similar to those enacted for England such as the Sherrifs Act 1887 (50 & 51 Vict. c. 55) and the Coroners Act 1887 (50 & 51 Vict. c. 71).[6] The bill was recommitted to a committee of the whole house, which met on 1 August 1891,[7] and reported on 3 August 1891, with amendments.[6] The amended bill had its third reading in the House of Commons on 3 August 1891 and passed, with amendments.[6]
The amended bill was considered and agreed to by the House of Lords on 4 August 1891.[5]
The bill was granted royal assent on 5 August 1891.[5]
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Following the passing of the act, the Joint Committee for consideration of Statute Law Revision Bills was established in 1892 to strengthen accuracy of future Statute Law Revision Bills.[2]
The schedule to the act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1908 (8 Edw. 7. c. 49).
Section 2 of the act was repealed by section 32(4) of, and Part V of Schedule 5 to, the Administration of Justice Act 1977.
This Act was retained for the Republic of Ireland by section 2(2)(a) of, and Part 4 of Schedule 1 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 2007.
The act was partly in force in Great Britain at the end of 2010.[8]
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Section 1 of the act repealed enactments, listed in the schedule to the act, across six categories:[9][c]
- Expired
- Spent
- Repealed in general terms
- Virtually repealed
- Superseded
- Obsolete
Section 1 of the act also provided that parts of titles, preambles, or recitals specified after the words "In part, namely" in connection with acts mentioned in the first schedule to the act could be omitted from any revised edition of the statutes published by authority, with brief statements about the acts, officers, persons, and things mentioned in those titles/preambles/recitals being added as necessary.[9]
Section 1 of the act provided that repeals were subject to the standard Westbury Saving.[9]
Section 2 of the act provided that if any repealed enactment had been applied to the Court of the County Palatine of Lancaster or other inferior civil courts, such enactment would be construed as if it were contained in a local and personal act specifically relating to that court, and would have effect accordingly.[9]
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