Forfeiture Act 1870
Forfeiture Act, 1870
(33 & 34 Vict.) CHAP. 23.
An Act to abolish Forfeitures for Treason and Felony, and to otherwise amend the Law relating thereto.
[4th July 1870]
W HEREAS it is expedient to abolish the forfeiture of lands and goods for treason and felony, and to otherwise amend the law relating thereto:
Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows; (that is to say,)
1 Forfeiture, &c. abolished.
1. From and after the passing of this Act, no confession, verdict, inquest, conviction, or judgment of or for any treason or felony or felo de se shall cause any attainder or corruption of blood, or any forfeiture or escheat, provided that nothing in this Act shall affect the law of forfeiture consequent upon outlawry.
2 Conviction for treason or felony to be a disqualification for offices, &c.
2. Provided nevertheless, that if any person hereafter convicted of treason or felony, for which he shall be sentenced to death, or penal servitude, or any term of imprisonment with hard labour, or exceeding twelve months, shall at the time of such conviction hold any military or naval office, or any civil office under the Crown or other public employment, or any ecclesiastical benefice, or any place, office, or emolument in any university, college, or other corporation, or be entitled to any pension or superannuation allowance payable by the public, or out of any public fund, such office, benefice, employment, or place shall forthwith become vacant, and such pension or superannuation allowance or emolument shall forthwith determine and cease to be payable, unless such person shall receive a free pardon from Her Majesty, within two months after such conviction or before the filling up of such office, benefice, employment, or place if given at a later period; and such person shall become, and (until he shall have suffered the punishment to which he had been sentenced, or such other punishment as by competent authority may be substituted for the same, or shall receive a free pardon from Her Majesty), shall continue thenceforth incapable of holding any military or naval office, or any civil office under the Crown or other public employment, or any ecclesiastical benefice, or of being elected, or sitting, or voting as a member of either House of Parliament, or of exercising any right of suffrage or other parliamentary or municipal franchise whatever within England, Wales, or Ireland.
3 Persons convicted of treason or felony may be condemned in costs.
3. It shall be lawful for any Court by which judgment shall be pronounced or recorded, upon the conviction of any person for treason or felony, in addition to such sentence as may otherwise by law be passed, to condemn such person to the payment of the whole or any part of the costs or expenses incurred in and about the prosecution and conviction for the offence of which he shall be convicted, if to such Court it shall seem fit so to do; and the payment of such costs and expenses, or any part thereof, may be ordered by the Court to be made out of any moneys taken from such person on his apprehension, or may be enforced at the instance of any person liable to pay, or who may have paid the same, in such and the same manner (subject to the provisions of this Act) as the payment of any costs ordered to be paid by the judgment or order of any Court of competent jurisdiction in any civil action or proceeding may for the time being be enforced: Provided, that in the meantime and until the recovery of such costs and expenses from the person so convicted as aforesaid, or from his estate, the same shall be paid and provided for in the same manner as if this Act had not passed; and any money which may be recovered in respect thereof from the person so convicted, or from his estate, shall be applicable to the reimbursement of any person or fund by whom or out of which such costs and expenses may have been paid or defrayed.
4 Compensation to persons defrauded or injured by felony.
4. It shall be lawful for any such Court as aforesaid, if it shall think fit, upon the application of any person aggrieved, and immediately after the conviction of any person for felony, to award any sum of money, not exceeding one hundred pounds, by way of satisfaction or compensation for any loss of property suffered by the applicant through or by means of the said felony, and the amount awarded for such satisfaction or compensation shall be deemed a judgment debt due to the person entitled to receive the same from the person so convicted, and the order for payment of such amount may be enforced in such and the same manner as in the case of any costs ordered by the Court to be paid under the last preceding section of this Act.
5 The word ‘forfeiture’ defined.
5. The word ‘forfeiture,’ in the construction of this Act, shall not include any fine or penalty imposed on any convict by virtue of his sentence.
6 The word ‘convict’ defined.
6. The expression ‘convict,’ as herein-after used, shall be deemed to mean any person against whom, after the passing of this Act, judgment of death, or of penal servitude, shall have been pronounced or recorded by any Court of competent jurisdiction in England, Wales, or Ireland upon any charge of treason or felony.
7 When convict shall cease to be subject to operation of the Act.
7. When any convict shall die or be made bankrupt, or shall have suffered any punishment to which sentence of death if pronounced or recorded against him may be lawfully commuted, or shall have undergone the full term of penal servitude for which judgment shall have been pronounced or recorded against him, or such other punishment as may by competent authority have been substituted for such full term, or shall have received Her Majesty's pardon for the treason or felony of which he may have been convicted, he shall thenceforth, so far as relates to the provisions herein-after contained, cease to be subject to the operation of this Act.
8 Convict disabled to sue for or to alienate property, &c.
8. No action at law or suit in equity for the recovery of any property, debt, or damage whatsoever shall be brought by any convict against any person during the time while he shall be subject to the operation of this Act; and every convict shall be incapable, during such time as aforesaid, of alienating or charging any property, or of making any contract, save as herein-after provided.
9 The Crown may appoint administrators of any convict's property.
9. It shall be lawful for Her Majesty, or for any person in that behalf authorised by Her Majesty, under Her Royal Sign Manual (and which authority may be given either generally or with reference to any particular case), if to Her Majesty or to the person so authorised it shall seem fit, by writing under Her Majesty's Royal Sign Manual, or under the hand of the person so authorised as aforesaid, to commit the custody and management of the property of any convict, during Her Majesty's pleasure, to an administrator, to be by such writing appointed in that behalf; and every such appointment may be revoked by the same or the like authority by which it is made; and upon any determination thereof, either by revocation or by the death of any such administrator, a new administrator may be appointed by the same or the like authority from time to time; and every such new administrator shall, upon his appointment, be and be deemed to be the successor-in-law of the former administrator; and all property vested in, and all powers given to, such former administrator by virtue of this Act shall thereupon devolve to and become vested in such successor, who shall be bound by all acts lawfully done by such former administrator during the continuance of his office; and the provisions herein-after contained with reference to any administrator shall, in the case of the appointment of more than one person, apply to such administrators jointly.
10 Convict's property to vest in administrators on their appointment.
10. Upon the appointment of any such administrator in manner aforesaid all the real and personal property, including choses in actions, to which...
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