Bill of Rights Act 1688
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1688 c. 2 |
| Year | 1688 |
(1 Will. & Mar. Session 2) C A P. II. (36.)
'WHEREAS the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, assembled atWestminster , lawfully fully, and freely representing all the Estates of the People of this Realm, did upon the thirteenth Day of February in the Year of our Lord one thousand six hundred eighty-eight, present unto their Majesties, then called and known by the Names and Stile of William and Mary , Prince and Princess of Orange , being present in their proper Persons, a certain Declaration in Writing, made by the said Lords and Commons, in the Words following; viz .
'WHEREAS the late KingJames the Second, by the Assistance of divers evil Counsellors, Judges, and Ministers employed by him, did endeavour to subvert and extirpate the Protestant Religion, and the Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom.
(1) '1. By assuming and exercising a Power of dispensing with and suspending of Laws, and the Execution of Laws, without Consent of Parliament.
(2) 2. By committing and prosecuting divers worthy Prelates, for humbly petitioning to be excused from concurring to the said assumed Power.
(3) 3. By issuing and causing to be executed a Commission under the Great Seal for erecting a Court called, The Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes .
(4) 4. By levying Money for and to the Use of the Crown, by Pretence of Prerogative, for other Time, and in other Manner, than the same was granted by Parliament.
(5) 5. By raising and keeping a Standing Army within the Kingdom in Time of Peace, without Consent of Parliament, and quartering Soldiers contrary to Law.
(6) 6. By causing several good Subjects, being Protestants, to be disarmed, at the same Time when Papists were both armed and employed, contrary to Law.
(7) 7. By violating the Freedom of Election of Members to serve in Parliament.
(8) 8. By Prosecutions in the Court of King's Bench, for Matters and Causes cognizable only in Parliament; and by divers other arbitrary and illegal Courses.
(9) 9. And whereas of late Years, partial, corrupt, and unqualified Persons, have been returned and served on Juries in Trials, and particularly divers Jurors in Trials for High Treason, which were not Freeholders.
(10) 10. And excessive Bail hath been required of Persons committed in criminal Cases, to elude the Benefit of the Laws made for the Liberty of the Subjects.
(11) 11. And excessive Fines have been imposed; and illegal and cruel Punishments inflicted.
(12) 12. And several Grants and Promises made of Fines and Forfeitures, before any Conviction or Judgment against the Persons, upon whom the same were to be levied.
All which are utterly and directly contrary to the known Laws and Statutes, and Freedom of this Realm.'
'And whereas the said late King James the Second having abdicated the Government, and the Throne being thereby vacant, his Highness the Prince of Orange (whom it hath pleased Almighty God to make the glorious Instrument of delivering this Kingdom from Popery and arbitrary Power) did (by the Advice of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and divers principal Persons of the Commons) cause Letters to be written to the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, being Protestants; and other Letters to the several Counties, Cities, Universities, Boroughs, and Cinque-ports, for the choosing of such Persons to represent them, as were of right to be sent to Parliament, to meet and fit at Westminster upon the two and twentieth Day of January in this Year one thousand six hundred eighty and eight, in order to such an Establishment, as that their Religion, Laws, and Liberties might not again be in Danger of being subverted: Upon which Letters, Elections having been accordingly made,
And thereupon the said Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, pursuant to their respective Letters and Elections, being now assembled in a full and free Representative of this Nation, taking into their most serious Consideration the best Means for attaining the Ends aforesaid; do in the first Place (as their Ancestors in like Case have usually done) for the vindicating and asserting their antient Rights and Liberties, declare;
(1) 1. That the pretended Power of suspending of Laws, or the Execution of Laws, by regal Authority, without Consent of Parliament, is illegal.
(2) 2. That the pretended Power of dispensing with Laws, or the Execution of Laws, by regal Authority, as it hath been assumed and exercised of late, is illegal.
(3) 3. That the Commission for erecting the late Court of Commissioners for Ecclesiastical Causes, and all other Commissions and Courts of like Nature, are illegal and pernicious.
(4) 4. That levying Money for or to the Use of the Crown, by Pretence of Prerogative, without Grant of Parliament for longer Time, or in other Manner than the same is or shall be granted, is illegal.
(5) 5. That it is the Right of the Subjects to petition the King, and all Commitments and Prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal.
(6) 6. That the raising or keeping a Standing Army within the Kingdom in Time of Peace, unless it be with Consent of Parliament, is against Law.
(7) 7. That the Subjects which are Protestants, may have Arms for their Defence suitable to their Conditions, and as allowed by Law.
(8) 8. That Election of Members of Parliament ought to be free.
(9) 9. That the Freedom of Speech, and Debates or Proceedings in Parliament, ought not to be impeached or questioned in any Court or Place out of Parliament.
(10) 10....
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