The Statute Law Revision Act 1873 (36 & 37 Vict. c. 91) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that repealed enactments from 1742 to 1830 which had ceased to be in force or had become unnecessary. The act was intended, in particular, to facilitate the preparation of the revised edition of the statutes, which was then in progress.

Section 2 of the Statute Law Revision Act 1874 (37 & 38 Vict. c. 35) provided that the Criminal Costs (Dublin) Act 1815 (55 Geo. 3. c. 91), which had been repealed by the 1873 act, was revived so far as it related to the county of the city of Dublin.

Section 3 of the Statute Law Revision Act 1875 (38 & 39 Vict. c. 66) provided that section 25 of the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1828 (9 Geo. 4. c. 58), which had been repealed by the 1873 act, was revived as from the date of its repeal. It further stated that all proceedings taken under that section since its repeal would be deemed as valid and effective as if the section had never been repealed.

Section 2 of, and schedule 2 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c. 79) revived several acts repealed by the 1873 act, including:

Licensing (Scotland) Act 1828 (9 Geo. 4. c. 58) Metropolitan Police Act 1829 (10 Geo. 4. c. 44) , the act remains partly in force in the United Kingdom.The Chronological Table of the Statutes, 1235–2010. The_Stationery_Office. 2011. . Part 1. Page 474, read with pages viii and x.

Background

In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed. Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, published in the late 18th-century, raised questions about the system and structure of the common law and the poor drafting and disorder of the existing statute book.

From 1810 to 1825, The Statutes of the Realm was published, providing the first authoritative collection of acts. The first statute law revision act was not passed until 1856 with the Repeal of Obsolete Statutes Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict. c. 64). This approach – focusing on removing obsolete laws from the statute book followed by consolidation – was proposed by Peter Locke King MP, who had been highly critical of previous commissions' approaches, expenditures, and lack of results. +Previous statute law revision actsYear passedTitleCitationEffect1861Statute Law Revision Act 186124 & 25 Vict. c. 101Repealed or amended over 800 enactments1863Statute Law Revision Act 186326 & 27 Vict. c. 125Repealed or amended over 1,600 enactments for England and Wales1867Statute Law Revision Act 186730 & 31 Vict. c. 59Repealed or amended over 1,380 enactments1870Statute Law Revision Act 187033 & 34 Vict. c. 69Repealed or amended over 250 enactments1871Promissory Oaths Act 187134 & 35 Vict. c. 48Repealed or amended almost 200 enactments1871Statute Law Revision Act 187134 & 35 Vict. c. 116Repealed or amended over 1,060 enactments1872Statute Law Revision Act 187235 & 36 Vict. c. 63Repealed or amended almost 490 enactments1872Statute Law (Ireland) Revision Act 187235 & 36 Vict. c. 98Repealed or amended over 1,050 enactments1872Statute Law Revision Act 1872 (No. 2)35 & 36 Vict. c. 97Repealed or amended almost 260 enactments

Passage The Statute Law Revision Bill had its first reading in the House of Lords on 26 June 1873, introduced by the Lord Chancellor, William Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley. The bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on 7 July 1873 and was committed to a committee of the whole house, which met and reported on 10 July 1873, with amendments. The amended bill was considered and had its third reading in the House of Lords on 11 July 1873 and passed, without amendments.

The bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 15 July 1873, introduced by the Attorney General, John Coleridge . The bill had its second reading on 22 July 1872 and was committed to a committee of the whole house, which met and reported on 28 July 1873, with amendments. The amended bill was considered on 29 July 1873, and had its third reading in the House of Commons on 30 July 1873 and passed, without amendments.

The amended bill was considered and agreed to by the House of Lords on 2 August 1873.

The bill was granted royal assent on 5 August 1873.

Subsequent developments The act was intended, in particular, to facilitate the preparation of a revised edition of the statutes.

The act was amended by section 2 of the Statute Law Revision Act 1878 (41 & 42 Vict. c. 79), which came into force on 16 August 1878.

The preamble and the schedule to this act were repealed by section 1 of, and the first part of the schedule to, the Statute Law Revision Act 1898 (61 & 62 Vict. c. 22), which came into force on 25 July 1898.

The enactments which were repealed (whether for the whole or any part of the United Kingdom) by the act were repealed so far as they extended to the Isle of Man by section 1(1) of, and schedule 1 to, the Statute Law Revision (Isle of Man) Act 1991, which came into force on 25 July 1991.

The act was retained for the Republic of Ireland by section 2(2)(a) of, and part 4 of schedule 1 to, the Statute Law Revision Act 2007.

Repealed enactments Section 1 of the act repealed 1,255 enactments, listed in the schedule to the act, across six categories:

Expired Spent Repealed in general terms Virtually repealed Superseded Obsolete

Section 1 of the act included several safeguards to ensure that the repeal does not negatively affect existing rights or ongoing legal matters. Specifically, any legal rights, privileges, or remedies already obtained under the repealed laws, as well as any legal proceedings or principles established by them, remain unaffected. Section 1 of the act also ensured that repealed enactments that have been incorporated into other laws would continue to have legal effect in those contexts. Moreover, the repeal would not revive any former rights, offices, or jurisdictions that had already been abolished. Citation Short title Title Extent of repeal 15 Geo. 2. c. 30 Marriage of Lunatics Act 1741 An Act to prevent the Marriage of Lunaticks. The whole act. 42 Geo. 3. c. 90 Militia Act 1802 An Act for amending the Laws relating to the Militia in England, and for augmenting the Militia Section Eighty-two. 42 Geo. 3. c. 91 Militia (Scotland) Act 1802 An Act to raise and establish a Militia Force in Scotland Sections One and Twelve, so far as they relate to the qualifications of deputy lieutenants and of officers in the Militia. Section One from "and shall certify" to "disapproved by His Majesty". Section Nine from "and every Deputy Lieutenant" to end of that section. Section Sixteen from "and the Lieutenant with" to "authorized to pay the same". Section Forty-seven from "and a reasonable Allowance" to end of that section. Section Seventy-one from "although" to "Captains". Section Seventy-two from "and every such Surgeon shall" to "Battalion to which he shall belong". Section Seventy-three from "although" to "respectively". Section Seventy-six. Section Seventy-seven from "and all Serjeants, Corporals" to "legally discharged". Section Seventy-eight. Section Seventy-nine from "all which Serjeants" to end of that Section. Section Eighty-two from "with the Approbation of His Majesty" to end of that section. Section One hundred and three from "and every Serjeant" to "no more", and from "and such Adjutant" to end of that section.