Benefit of Clergy Act 1402

Benefit of Clergy Act 1402

Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Act for confirming the Liberties of the Church and Clergy.
Citation	4 Hen. 4. c. 3
Territorial extent	England and Wales Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	25 November 1402
Commencement	30 September 1402 [a]
Repealed	10 August 1872
Other legislation
Amended by	Statute Law Revision Act 1863
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision (Ireland) Act 1872
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Benefit of Clergy Act 1402 (4 Hen. 4. c. 3) was an act passed during the reign of Henry IV of England by the Parliament of England that abolished compurgation for high treason and theft.. ^[1]

Subsequent developments

The act was extended to Ireland by Poynings' Law 1495 (10 Hen. 7. c. 22 (I)).

The whole act was repealed for England and Wales by Statute Law Revision Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c. 125) and for Ireland by Statute Law (Ireland) Revision Act 1872 (35 & 36 Vict. c. 98).

See also

• Benefit of clergy
• High treason in the United Kingdom

Notes

1. Start of session.

References

1. Tomlins, Thomas Edlyne; Raithby, John (1811). Benefit of Clergy Act 1402 [4 Hen. IV. - A.D. 1402 Chapter III]. The Statutes at Large, of England and of Great Britain: from Magna Carta to the Union of the Kingdoms of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. II. London, Great Britain: George Eyre and Andrew Strahan. p. 238. OCLC   1110419501 – via Internet Archive.