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English Law

Guide to the law of the United Kingdom.

Introduction

There is no official codification of English law.  Each act of Parliament is referred to by its original title and date of enactment, i.e. the Human Reproductive Cloning Act of 2001.  Prior to 1963, acts were referred to by regnal year, or year of the monarch's reign, i.e. 3 Edw. 7, c. 36 would denote the 36th act passed in the 3rd year of the reign of Edward VII.  A table of regnal years of English sovereigns can be found in Sweet and Maxwell's Guide to Law Reports and Statutes.

Current Legislation

 

  • Legislation.gov.uk  Full text of all public general acts, from 1988 to the present.
  • British and Irish LII  Full text of unconsolidated UK statutes from 1988 to the present, along with other legislation dating back to 1267.
  • Lexis Advance   Full amended text of all public general acts currently in force.
  • Westlaw Full amended text of all public general acts currently in force. 
  • Public General Acts  Compilation of laws as passed, from 1866 to 2004.

Historical Legislation