 | |
| Long title | An Act to take away the Benefit of Clergy from some kind of Manslaughter. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 1 Jas. 1. c. 8 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 7 July 1604 |
| Commencement | 7 July 1604 [a] |
| Repealed |
|
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by | |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Statute of Stabbing [1] was an act of the Parliament of England enacted during the reign of James I that provided that if any person stabbed "any person that hath not any weapon drawn or that hath not then first stricken the party", and they died within six months as a result, was to suffer the death penalty without being permitted benefit of clergy.
Contents
Under the statute, killings subject to benefit of clergy were called manslaughters and required that a defendant prove a "sudden quarrel" or provocation. Deaths resulting from armed attacks that had been planned in advance were called murders. [2]
