The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 or the Acts of Union, were Acts of the Parliament of England under King Henry VIII of England, causing Wales to be incorporated into the realm of the Kingdom of England.
In English law, the benefit of clergy was originally a provision by which clergymen accused of a crime could claim that they were outside the jurisdiction of the secular courts and be tried instead in an ecclesiastical court under canon law. The ecclesiastical courts were generally seen as being more lenient in their prosecutions and punishments, and many efforts were made by defendants to claim clergy status, often on questionable or fraudulent grounds.
The Statute of Westminster of 1275, also known as the Statute of Westminster I, codified the existing law in England, into 51 chapters. Only chapter 5 is still in force in the United Kingdom, whilst part of Chapter 1 remains in force in New Zealand. It was repealed in Ireland in 1983.
Petty treason or petit treason was an offence under the common law of England in which a person killed or otherwise violated the authority of a social superior, other than the king. In England and Wales, petty treason ceased to be a distinct offence from murder by virtue of the Offences against the Person Act 1828. It was abolished in Ireland in 1829. It never existed in Scotland. It has also been abolished in other common-law countries.
A nail, as a unit of cloth measurement, is generally a sixteenth of a yard or 21⁄4 inches (5.715 cm). The nail was apparently named after the practice of hammering brass nails into the counter at shops where cloth was sold. On the other hand, R D Connor, in The weights and measures of England states that the nail was the 16th part of a Roman foot, i.e., digitus or finger, although he provides no reference to support this. Zupko's A dictionary of weights and measures for the British Isles states that the nail was originally the distance from the thumbnail to the joint at the base of the thumb, or alternately, from the end of the middle finger to the second joint.
The Egyptians Act 1530 was an Act passed by the Parliament of England in 1531 to expel the "outlandish people calling themselves Egyptians", meaning Roma. It was repealed by the Repeal of Obsolete Statutes Act 1856.
The Act 7 Ric. 2. c. 5 (1383), sometimes called the Beggars Act 1383, the Vagrancy Act, or the Vagabonds Act 1383, was an Act of the Parliament of England made at Westminster in 1383, after the Peasants' Revolt (1381).
Chester and Cheshire (Constituencies) Act 1542 is the Act of Parliament allowing Cheshire to be represented in the Parliament of England. The county palatine of Chester, ruled by the earls of Chester, was established by William the Conqueror. Cheshire had its own parliament, consisting of barons of the county, and was not represented in the parliament of England. After the passing of the act Cheshire retained some of its special privileges until 1830. The earldom of Chester is traditionally vested in the sovereign's eldest son upon his crowning as Prince of Wales.
The Treason Act 1554 was an Act of the Parliament of England. It is not to be confused with two other Acts about treason passed in the same year, 1 & 2 Ph & M c 9 and 11.
The Religion Act 1580 was an Act of the Parliament of England during the English Reformation.
The Treason Act 1547 was an Act of the Parliament of England. It is mainly notable for being the first instance of the rule that two witnesses are needed to prove a charge of treason, a rule which still exists today in the United States Constitution.
The Benefit of Clergy Act 1402 was an Act passed during the reign of Henry IV of England by the Parliament of England. It abolished compurgation for high treason and theft.
The Treason Act 1397 was an Act of the Parliament of England. It was supplemented by six other Acts. The seven Acts together dealt with high treason.
The Safe Conducts Act 1414 was an Act of the Parliament of England. It made it high treason to break a truce or promise of safe conduct by killing, robbing or "spoiling" the victim. Unusually, the "voluntary receipt" or "concealing" of people who had violated this Act was also stated to be treason.
The Statute of Winchester of 1285, also known as the Statute of Winton, was a statute enacted by King Edward I of England that reformed the system of Watch and Ward (watchmen) of the Assize of Arms of 1252, and revived the jurisdiction of the local courts. It received royal assent on 8 October 1285.
The Poisoning Act 1530 was an Act of the Parliament of England. Its long title was "An Act for Poisoning." It made it high treason to murder someone with poison, and instead of the usual punishment for treason it imposed death by boiling. It was repealed by the Treason Act 1547.
The Statute of Westminster of 1285, also known as the Statute of Westminster II or the Statute of Westminster the Second, like the Statute of Westminster 1275, is a code in itself, and contains the famous clause De donis conditionalibus, one of the fundamental institutes of the medieval land law of England.
The Statute of Westminster 1327, also known as Statute of Westminster IV, was a law of Edward III of England.
