Benefit of Clergy Act 1575

Benefit of Clergy Act 1575

Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Act to take away clergy from the offenders in rape and burglary, and an order for the delivery of clerks convict without purgation.
Citation	18 Eliz. 1. c. 7
Territorial extent	England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent	15 March 1576
Commencement	1 June 1576 [a]
Repealed	1 July 1828 (England and Wales) 1 March 1829 (India)
Other legislation
Repealed by	Offences Against the Person Act 1828 Criminal Law (India) Act 1828
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Benefit of Clergy Act 1575 (18 Eliz. 1. c. 7), long title An Act to take away clergy from the offenders in rape and burglary, and an order for the delivery of clerks convict without purgation, was an act of the Parliament of England enacted during the reign of Elizabeth I.

It provided that if any person was found guilty of rape or burglary, they would suffer the death penalty as normal in felony cases, without being permitted the benefit of clergy.

Subsequent developments

The whole act was repealed for England and Wales by section 1 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1828 (9 Geo. 4. c. 31) and for India by section 125 of the Criminal Law (India) Act 1828 (9 Geo. 4. c. 74).

See also

• Benefit of clergy

Notes

1. Section 1.

References

• Select statutes and other constitutional documents illustrative of the reigns of Elizabeth and James I, ed. by G. W. Prothero. Oxford University Press, 1913. Fourth edition.
• Chronological table of the statutes; HMSO, London. 1993.