Offences Against The Person Act 1861

Offences Against The Person Act 1861

The Offences against the Person Act 1861 (24 & 25 Vict c 100) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It consolidated provisions related to offences against the person (an expression which, in particular, includes offences of violence) from a number of earlier statutes into a single Act. For the most part these provisions were, according to the draftsman of the Act, incorporated with little or no variation in their phraseology. It is one of a group of Acts sometimes referred to as the criminal law consolidation Acts 1861. It was passed with the object of simplifying the law. It is essentially a revised version of an earlier consolidation Act, the Offences against the Person Act 1828 (and the equivalent Irish Act), incorporating subsequent statutes.

Although it has been substantially amended, it continues to be the foundation for prosecuting personal injury, short of murder, in the courts of England and Wales.

In England and Wales, and in Northern Ireland, the sexual offences under this Act have all been repealed. For current sexual offences see the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and the Sexual Offences (Northern Ireland) Order 2008. In Ireland (both Northern Ireland and the Republic) the Offences against the Person Act 1861 continues to be the basis of a ban on abortion.

Read more about Offences Against The Person Act 1861:  Commentary, Dangerous Offenders, Attempts To Murder, Threats To Kill, Bodily Harm, Assaults, Rape, Abduction and Defilement of Women, Child Stealing, Bigamy, Abortion, Concealing The Birth of A Child, Unnatural Offences, Carnal Knowledge, Other Matters, Consequential Repeals

Famous quotes containing the words offences against, offences, person and/or act:

    A strong argument for the religion of Christ is this—that offences against Charity are about the only ones which men on their death-beds can be made—not to understand—but to feel—as crime.
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    A strong argument for the religion of Christ is this—that offences against Charity are about the only ones which men on their death-beds can be made—not to understand—but to feel—as crime.
    Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1845)

    Whoever considers morality the main objective of human existence, seems to me like a person who defines the purpose of a clock as not going wrong. The first objective for a clock, is, however, that it does run; not going wrong is an additional regulative function. If not a watch’s greatest accomplishment were not going wrong, unwound watches might be the best.
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    In my dealing with my child, my Latin and Greek, my accomplishments and my money stead me nothing; but as much soul as I have avails. If I am wilful, he sets his will against mine, one for one, and leaves me, if I please, the degradation of beating him by my superiority of strength. But if I renounce my will, and act for the soul, setting that up as umpire between us two, out of his young eyes looks the same soul; he reveres and loves with me.
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