Statute Law Revision Act is a stock short title which was formerly used in the United Kingdom, and is still used in Australia, Canada and in the Republic of Ireland, for legislation whose purpose is statute law revision. Such Acts normally repealed legislation which was either obsolete in the sense of being no longer relevant, or spent in the sense of having ceased to be in force otherwise than by virtue of formal repeal (for example because the Act was only in force for a particular time or purpose which has expired). In the United Kingdom, the short title Statute Law (Repeals) Act is now used instead. "Statute Law Revision Acts" may collectively refer to enactments with this short title.
Contents
- United Kingdom
- Scotland
- Ireland Pre 1922
- Northern Ireland
- Isle of Man
- Pre 2005
- Enacted since 2005 as part of the current Statute Law Revision Programme
- Federal legislation
- Australian Capital Territory
- New South Wales
- Northern Territory
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Victoria
- Western Australia
- References
The single biggest Statute Law Revision Act in any jurisdiction was the Statute Law Revision Act 2007 enacted in Ireland which repealed 3,225 previous Acts. The Statute Law Revision programme commenced in Ireland in 2003 which has resulted in four Statute Law Revision Acts to date (see below) and the express repeal of a total of around 8,000 Acts is the largest statute law revision programme carried out internationally.
Statute Law Revision Acts are sometimes referred to as expurgation Acts.
United Kingdom
Statute Law Revision Bills must be referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation etc. Bills. The scope of Statute Law Revision Bills is confined to the repeal of obsolete, spent, unnecessary or superseded enactments.
Halsbury's Laws said that Statute Law Revision Acts are law reform Acts.
The Statute Law Committee prepared the Bills for Statute Law Revision Acts up to, and including, the Statute Law Revision Act 1966.
The following list includes any Act the short title of which includes the words "statute law revision", without prejudice to suggestions that some of these Acts are not actually Statute Law Revision Acts.
Courtenay Ilbert said that the 19 & 20 Vict c 64 was the first Statute Law Revision Act.
The Promissory Oaths Act 1871 (34 & 35 Vict c 48), the Civil Procedure Acts Repeal Act 1879 (42 & 43 Vict c 59) and the Master and Servant Act 1889 (52 & 53 Vict c 24) were expressed by their preambles to be passed for the purpose of statute law revision.
Scotland
Ireland (Pre-1922)
(also see Republic of Ireland below)
Northern Ireland
The Statute Law Revision Acts (Northern Ireland) 1952 and 1953 means the Statute Law Revision Act (Northern Ireland) 1952 and the Statute Law Revision Act (Northern Ireland) 1953.
The Statute Law Revision Acts (Northern Ireland) 1952 to 1954 means the Statute Law Revision Acts (Northern Ireland) 1952 and 1953, and the Statute Law Revision Act (Northern Ireland) 1954.
The Short Titles Act (Northern Ireland) 1951 and the Repeal of Unnecessary Laws Act (Northern Ireland) 1953 also contribute to the revision of the statute book in Northern Ireland.
Isle of Man
The following Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom repealed enactments extending to the Isle of Man:
Pre-2005
Enacted since 2005 as part of the current Statute Law Revision Programme
The following statutes have been enacted under the current Statute Law Revision Programme:
Federal legislation
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Northern Territory
South Australia
Tasmania
Victoria
Statute Law Revision Committee Act