Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom legislation
The Statute Law Revision (No. 2) Act 1888 (51 &amp; 52 Vict. c. 57) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that repealed various United Kingdom enactments which had ceased to be in force or had become necessary.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.
Section 5 of the Statute Law Revision Act 1890 (53 &amp; 54 Vict. c. 33) provided that the was to be read and construed as if, in the entry in the schedule to the act relating to the Assizes (Ireland) Act 1835 (5 &amp; 6 Will. 4. c. 26), the reference to sections 1 and 2 and 3 were replaced by reference to sections 2 and 3 and 4.
Section 3 of the Statute Law Revision Act 1894 (57 &amp; 58 Vict. c. 56) provided that the second schedule to that act was to be substituted for so much of this act and of the Statute Law Revision Act 1892 (55 &amp; 56 Vict. c. 19) as related to the Small Debt (Scotland) Act 1837 (7 Will. 4 &amp; 1 Vict. c. 41) and to the Burning of Houses (Dublin) Act 1841 (4 &amp; 5 Vict. c. 10), 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In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed.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 (19 &amp; 20 Vict. c. 64), 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.
Passage.
The Statute Law Revision Bill had its first reading in the House of Lords on 6 August 1888, introduced by the Lord Chancellor, Hardinge Giffard, 1st Baron Halsbury. The bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on 20 November 1888 and was committed to a [[Committee of the Whole House (United Kingdom)|committee of the whole house], which met and reported on 27 November 1888, without amendments. The bill had its [[third reading]] in the [[House of Lords]] on 4 December 1888 and passed, with amendments.
The amended bill had its [[first reading]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] on 8 December 1888. The bill had its [[second reading]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] on 14 December 1888 and was committed to a [[Committee of the Whole House (United Kingdom)|committee of the whole house]], which met and reported on 17 December 1888, with amendments. The amended bill had its [[third reading]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] on 19 December 1888 and passed, with amendments.
The amended Bill was considered and agreed to by the [[House of Lords]] on 21 December 1888.
The bill was granted [[royal assent]] on 24 December 1888.
Legacy.
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).
The words "to the court of the county palatine of Lancaster or" in section 2 of the act were repealed by section 56(4) of, and Part II of Schedule 11 to, the [[Courts Act 1971]].
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]].
The act was repealed by section 1(1) of, and Part XI of Schedule 1 to, the [[Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1989]].
The 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]].
Repealed acts.
Section 1 of the act repealed enactments, listed in the schedule to the act, 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 [[Courts of England and Wales|inferior civil courts]], such enactment would be construed as if it were contained in a [[Local and personal acts of Parliament (United Kingdom)|local and personal act]] specifically relating to that court, and would have effect accordingly.
References.
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External links.
[[Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1888]]
[[Category:December 1888]]
[[Category:Repealed United Kingdom Acts of Parliament]]
[[Category:Statute Law Revision Acts]]