The Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1623 (21 Jas. 1. c. 28) was an act of the Parliament of England that continued, revived and repealed various older acts.
Background In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed. Statute law revision gained a new momentum following the Union of the Crowns in 1603. Speaking in Parliament in 1609, King James I, proposing reform to the statutes, speaking from the throne of:
In 1616, Sir Francis Bacon, then Attorney General, submitted to King James I a proposal "touching the compiling and amendment of the laws of England", proposing four steps:
Lord Bacon's fall from grace in 1621, as well as other more immediate priorities on the parliamentary agenda, meant that his attempts at the revision of the statute law were not pursued. Despite this, parliament recognised the need to organise and clarify the statute book, ensuring that obsolete and contradictory laws did not remain in force, aligning with broader legal reforms sought by King James I.
Provisions Section 2 of the act provided that the acts affected by this act may be amended in the present parliamentary session.
Section 3 of the act permitted the exportation of grains (wheat, rye, peas, beans, barley, and malt) when their prices do not exceed specified thresholds, establishing customs duties on exported grain (two shillings per quarter on wheat and sixteen pence per quarter on other grains) and allowing subjects to transport and sell these commodities both domestically and internationally.
Section 4 of the act grants the King, his heirs, and successors the authority to temporarily prohibit grain exports from all or specific ports of the realm through a published proclamation, with violations subject to existing legal penalties, regardless of other provisions in the act.
Section 5 of the act exempted penalties for deficiencies in length, breadth, or weight of Welsh cottons priced under fifteen pence per yard or two shillings per goad, provided they are not mixed with hair or other deceptive materials, do not shrink more than half a yard per twelve yards in length, weigh at least fourteen ounces per yard, and measure at least three-quarters of a yard in width.
Revived and continued enactments Section 1 of the act continued 62 enactments, listed in that section, extending their validity from the seventh year of King James's reign (1610) until the end of the first session of the next parliament. +CitationShort titleDescriptionExtent of continuation21 Hen. 8. c. 12Manufacture of Cables, etc. Act 1529One act made in the one and twentieth year of the reign of the late King Henry the Eighth, intituled, An act for the true making of cables, halsers and ropes.The whole act.24 Hen. 8. c. 9Killing Weanlings Act 1532An act made in the four and twentieth year of the reign of the said late Henry the Eighth, intituled, An act against killing of young beasts called weanlings.The whole act.3 & 4 Edw. 6. c. 19Buying Cattle Act 1549Two acts made in the parliament holden at Westminster by prorogation the fourth day of November, in the first year of the reign of the late King Edward the Sixth; in the third and fourth years of the reign of the late King Edward the Sixth; the one intituled, An act for the buying and selling of rother-beasts and cattle.The whole act.3 & 4 Edw. 6. c. 21Butter and Cheese Act 1549Two acts made in the parliament holden at Westminster by prorogation the fourth day of November, in the first year of the reign of the late King Edward the Sixth; in the third and fourth years of the reign of the late King Edward the Sixth; the other intituled, An act for the buying and selling of butter and cheeseThe whole act.1 Eliz. 1. c. 17Fisheries Act 1558One act made in the first year of the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth, intituled, An act for the preservation of spawn and fry of fish.The whole act.5 Eliz. 1. c. 7Importation Act 1562An act made in the fifth year of the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth, intituled, An act for avoiding divers foreign wares made by handicraftsmen beyond the seas.The whole act.5 Eliz. 1. c. 5Maintenance of the Navy Act 1562So much of one act made in the said fifth year of the reign of the said late Queen Elizabeth, intituled, An act touching certain politick constitutions made for the maintenance of the navy.As is not repealed by any other statutes, nor doth concern the transportation of herring in casks fish, nor freedom of dressing, taking or conveying to the same, nor transportation of corn, nor the prohibiting the bringing into this realm any eel or lings in barrels, or barrelled fish; together with all and every other additions, explanations and alterations made thereunto or thereof, or of any part thereof, by any statute or statutes made since the making of the said last mentioned act, and in force the last day of the session of parliament that was in the seventh year of his Majesty's reign of England.8 Eliz. 1. c. 10Bows Act 1566An act made in the eighth year of the reign of the said late Queen Elizabeth, intituled, An act for bowyers, and the prices of bows.The whole act.13 Eliz. 1. c. 21Purveyance Act 1571Three acts made in the thirteenth year of her said Majesty's reign, one intituled, An act that purveyors may take grain and victuals within five miles of Cambridge and Oxford in certain cases.The whole act.13 Eliz. 1. c. 10Ecclesiastical Leases Act 1571Three acts made in the thirteenth year of her said Majesty's reign, one other, An act against frauds defeating remedies for dilapidations of ecclesiastical livings, and for leases to be granted to the collegiate churches.The whole act.13 Eliz. 1. c. 20 Benefices Act 1571Three acts made in the thirteenth year of her said Majesty's reign, another intituled, An act touching leases of benefices, and other ecclesiastical livings with cure.The whole act.14 Eliz. 1. c. 11Ecclesiastical Leases Act 1572Together with all and every explanations, additions and alterations made thereof, or of any of them, or to any of them, made by several statutes in the fourteenth, eighteenth and three and fortieth year of her late Majesty's reign.The whole act.18 Eliz. 1. c. 11Ecclesiastical Leases Act 1575Together with all and every explanations, additions and alterations made thereof, or of any of them, or to any of them, made by several statutes in the fourteenth, eighteenth and three and fortieth year of her late Majesty's reign.The whole act.43 Eliz. 1. c. 9Continuance, etc. of Laws Act 1601Together with all and every explanations, additions and alterations made thereof, or of any of them, or to any of them, made by several statutes in the fourteenth, eighteenth and three and fortieth year of her late Majesty's reign.The whole act.14 Eliz. 1. c. 5Vagabonds Act 1572An act made in the fourteenth year of the reign of the late Queen Elizabeth, intituled, An act for the punishment of vagabonds, and for the relief of the poor and impotent.As concerneth the taxing, rating, levying, receiving and imploying of goal-money.18 Eliz. 1. c. 3Poor Act 1575An act made in the eighteenth year of the reign of the said late Queen Elizabeth, intituled, An act to redress the poor to work, and avoiding idleness.As concerneth bastards begotten and born out of lawful matrimony.18 Eliz. 1. c. 20Road Repairs (Oxford) Act 1575An act made in the said eighteenth year of the reign of the said late Queen Elizabeth, intituled, An act for the repairing and amending of the bridges and highways near unto the city of Oxford.The whole act.27 Eliz. 1. c. 1 Pr. 27 Eliz. 1. c. 19 Pr.Lyme Regis Pier Act 1584Two acts made in the seven and twentieth year of the reign of the said late Queen Elizabeth, the one intituled, An act for the maintenance of the pier and cobb of Lyme-Regis in the county of Dorset.The whole act.27 Eliz. 1. c. 5 Pr.