Sunday Observance Act 1625

Sunday Observance Act 1625 ^[a]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of England
Long title	An Act for punishing divers abuses committed on the Lord's day, called Sunday.
Citation	1 Cha. 1. c. 1
Territorial extent	England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent	12 August 1625
Commencement	21 September 1625 [b]
Repealed	1 January 1970
Other legislation
Amended by	Continuance of Laws, etc. Act 1627 Statute Law Revision Act 1863 Statute Law Revision Act 1948 Justices of the Peace Act 1949 Statute Law Revision Act 1958 Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1963
Repealed by	Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1969
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Sunday Observance Act 1625 ^[a] (1 Cha. 1. c. 1) was an act of the Parliament of England.

The act banned participation in such activities as "bearbaiting, bullbaiting, Interludes, common Plays, and other unlawful exercises and pastimes" on Sundays. It was originally only to continue in force until the next session of Parliament.

Subsequent developments

The whole act was continued until the end of the first session of the next parliament by section 3 of the Continuance of Laws, etc. Act 1627 (3 Cha. 1 . c. 5).

The words of commencement, the words from "to the constables or churchwardens" to "shall be committed" and the words from "and in default of such distress" to "space of three hours" were repealed by section 1 of, and schedule 1 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 62).

The words "the same to be employed and converted to the use of the poor of the parish where such offence shall be committed" were repealed by section 46(2) of, and part III of schedule 7 to, the Justices of the Peace Act 1949 ( 12, 13 & 14 Geo. 6. c. 101).

Section 3 of, and schedule 3 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1958 (6 & 7 Eliz. 2. c. 46) provided that the act was to cease to have effect in so far as it entitled persons to plead the general issue in civil proceedings, and that accordingly the words from "and that if any man" to "evidence" were repealed.

The second proviso was repealed by section 87 of, and the fifth schedule to, the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure 1963 (No. 1).

The whole act, so far as unrepealed, was repealed by section 1 of, and part IV of the schedule to, the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1969.

Notes

1. The citation of this act by this short title was authorised by section 1 of, and the first schedule to, the Short Titles Act 1896. Due to the repeal of those provisions it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
2. Section 1. 40 days after the end of the session.

References

• Halsbury's Statutes,