Perpetuation of Laws Act 1548

Perpetuation of Laws Act 1548

Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Act for the Continuance of certain Statutes.
Citation	2 & 3 Edw. 6. c. 32
Territorial extent	England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent	14 March 1549
Commencement	24 November 1548 [a]
Repealed	28 July 1863
Other legislation
Amends	See § Continued enactments
Repealed by	Statute Law Revision Act 1863
Relates to	See Expiring laws continuance acts
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Perpetuation of Laws Act 1548 (2 & 3 Edw. 6. c. 32) was an act of the Parliament of England that made perpetual various older enactments.

Background

In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed. Many acts of parliament, however, contained time-limited sunset clauses, requiring legislation to revive enactments that had expired or to continue enactments that would otherwise expire. ^[1]

Provisions

Continued enactments

Section 1 of the act made the Mispleadings, Jeofails, etc. Act 1540 (32 Hen. 8. c. 30) and the Jurors Act 1543 (35 Hen. 8. c. 6) as continued by the Juries Act 1545 (37 Hen. 8. c. 22) perpetual.

Subsequent developments

The Select Committee on Temporary Laws, Expired or Expiring, appointed in 1796, inspected and considered all temporary laws, observing irregularities in the construction of expiring laws continuance acts, making recommendations and emphasising the importance of the Committee for Expired and Expiring Laws. ^[2]

The whole act was repealed by section 1 of, and the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1863 (26 & 27 Vict. c. 125).

Notes

1. Start of session.

References

1. Imprisonment in Medieval England. CUP Archive. p. 345.
2. Commons, Great Britain Parliament House of (1803). Reports from Committees of the House of Commons which Have Been Printed by Order of the House: And are Not Inserted in the Journals [1715-1801. Vol. 14. pp. 34–118.