Continuance of Laws Act 1776

The Continuance of Laws Act 1776 was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain that continued various older acts.

Background

In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed. Many acts of parliament, however, contained time-limited sunset clauses, requiring legislation to revive enactments that had expired or to continue enactments that would otherwise expire.

Provisions

Continued enactments

Section 1 of the act continued the Bankrupts Act 1731, as continued by the Continuance, etc., of Acts, 1735 and the Bankrupts Act 1742, as amended and continued by the Continuance of Laws (No. 2) Act 1750 and continued by the Continuance of Laws, etc., (No. 2) Act 1757, the Bankrupts, etc. Act 1763 and the Bankrupts Act 1772, from the expiration of the act until the end of the next session of parliament after 29 September 1780.
Section 2 of the act continued the from the expiration of the act until the Light Silver Coin Act 1774 from the expiration of the act until the end of the next session of parliament after 1 May 1778.

Subsequent developments

The Select Committee on Temporary Laws, Expired or Expiring, appointed in 1796, inspected and considered all temporary laws, observing irregularities in the construction of expiring laws continuance acts, making recommendations and emphasising the importance of the Committee for Expired and Expiring Laws.
The whole act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1871.