Statute Law Revision Act 1892
The Statute Law Revision Act 1892 was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that repealed various United Kingdom enactments which had ceased to be in force or had become necessary.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.
The act was the first Statute Law Revision Act to be committed to the Joint Committee for consideration of Statute Law Revision Bills, a procedure designed to increase the accuracy of such bills.
Section 3 of the Statute Law Revision (No. 2) Act 1893 provided that the second schedule to that act was to be substituted for so much of this act as related to the Cambridge University Act 1856.
Section 3 of the Statute Law Revision Act 1894 provided that the second schedule to that act was to be substituted for so much of this act and of the Statute Law Revision (No. 2) Act 1888 as related to the Small Debt (Scotland) Act 1837 and to the Burning of Houses (Dublin) Act 1841, and that "the said Statute Law Revision Acts" were to be read and construed accordingly.
Background
In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed.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.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. From 1810 to 1825, The Statutes of the Realm was published, providing for the first time the authoritative collection of acts. 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.
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. 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 statutes and enactments of English law. 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. This approach was taken by the Repeal of Obsolete Statutes Act 1856, considered to be the first Statute Law Revision Act.
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.
| 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 |
| 1889 | Master and Servant Act 1889 | 52 & 53 Vict. c. 24 | Repealed or amended over 20 enactments related to master and servants |
| 1888 | Statute Law Revision (No. 2) Act 1888 | 51 & 52 Vict. c. 57 | Repealed or amended ? enactments |
| 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 |
| 1891 | Statute Law Revision Act 1891 | 54 & 55 Vict. c. 67 | Repealed or amended ? enactments |
Passage
The Statute Law Revision Bill had its first reading in the House of Lords on 3 March 1892, presented by the Lord Chancellor, Hardinge Giffard, 1st Earl of Halsbury. The bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on 14 March 1892, introduced by the Lord Chancellor.At the same time, on 14 March 1892, the topic of statute law revision was referred to a joint committee of both houses of Parliament, on the motion of the Lord Chancellor.
The Joint Committee on Statute Law Revision was appointed by the House of Lords on 25 March 1892, and the House of Commons on 4 April 1892, consisting of 10 members with a quorum of three.
Upon the motion of the Lord Chancellor on 13 May 1892, the bill was committed to the Joint Committee on Statute Law Revision on 17 May 1892, following agreement by the House of Commons. The select committee reported on 13 June 1892, with amendments. The committee expressing their support for the principles and objects of statute law revision and for completing the new edition of the revised edition of the statutes as soon as possible. The committee supported the bill and recommended the creation of a standing joint committee to whom all Statute Law Revision Bills should be referred to be examined and approved.
The amended bill was referred to a committee of the whole house, which met and reported on 14 June 1892, without amendments. The amended bill had its third reading in the House of Lords on X and passed, with amendments, including those recommended by the select committee.
The amended bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 14 June 1892. The bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on 15 June 1892 and was committed to a committee of the whole house, which met and reported on 16 June 1892, without amendments. The bill had its third reading in the House of Commons on 16 June 1892 and passed, without amendments.
The bill was granted royal assent on 20 June 1892.
Legacy
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.As to the effect of the act, see Morse v Muir, Watkins v Reddy, People v Murtagh, Smith v Smith, Robins v Robins, In re M'Naul's Estate, Morrison v Stubbs and Huffam v North Staffordshire Railway Company.
The schedule to the act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1908.
The words "to the court of the county palatine of Lancaster or" in section 2 of the act were repealed by section 56 of, and Part II of to, the Courts Act 1971.
Section 2 of the act was repealed by section 32 of, and of Schedule 5 to, the Administration of Justice Act 1977.
The enactments which were repealed by the act were repealed so far as they extended to the Isle of Man on 25 July 1991.
The act was repealed for the United Kingdom by Group 1 of of Schedule 1 to the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1998.
The act was retained for the Republic of Ireland by of, and Part 4 of Schedule 1 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 2007.
Repealed enactments
Section 1 of the act repealed enactments, listed in the schedule to the act, across six categories:- Expired
- Spent
- Repealed in general terms
- Virtually repealed
- Superseded
- Obsolete
Section 1 of the act provided that repeals were subject to the standard Westbury Saving.
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.