Larceny (England) Act 1827
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
(7 & 8 Geo. 4) C A P. XXIX.
[21st June 1827]
'WHEREAS various Statutes now in force in that Part of the United Kingdom calledEngland , relative to Larceny and other Offences of stealing, and to Burglary, Robbery, and Threats for the Purpose of Robbery or of Extortion, and to Embezzlement, false Pretences, and the Receipt of stolen Property, are by an Act of the present Session of Parliament repealed from and after the last Day of June in the present Year, except as to Offences committed before or upon that Day; and it is expedient that the Provisions contained in those various Statutes should be amended and consolidated into this Act, to take effect at the same Time as the said repealing Act;' Be it therefore enacted by the King'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, That this Actshall commence on the First Day ofJuly in the present Year.
II Distinction between Grand and Petty Larceny abolished.
II. And be it enacted, That the Distinction between Grand Larceny and Petty Larceny shall be abolished, and every Larceny, whatever be the Value of the Property stolen, shall be deemed to be of the same Nature, and shall be subject to the same Incidents in all respects as Grand Larceny was before the Commencement of this Act; and every Court, whose Power as to the Trial of Larceny was before the Commencement of this Act limited to Petty Larceny, shall have Power to try every Case of Larceny the Punishment of which cannot exceed the Punishment hereinafter mentioned for Simple Larceny, and also to try all Accessories to such Larceny.
III Punishments for Simple Larceny.
III. And be it enacted, That every Person convicted of Simple Larceny, or of any Felony hereby made punishable like Simple Larceny, shall (except in the Cases hereinafter otherwise provided for) be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be transported beyond the Seas for the Term of Seven Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Two Years, and, if a Male, to be once, twice, or thrice publicly or privately whipped (if the Court shall so think fit), in addition to such Imprisonment.
IV The Court may, for all Offences within this Act, order hard Labour or solitary Confinement.
IV. And, with regard to the Place and Mode of Imprisonment for all indictable Offences punishable under this Act, be it enacted, That where any Person shall be convicted of any Felony or Misdemeanor punishable under this Act, for which Imprisonment may be awarded, it shall be lawful for the Court to sentence the Offender to be imprisoned, or to be imprisoned and kept to hard Labour, in the Common Gaol or House of Correction, and also to direct that the Offender shall be kept in solitary Confinement for the whole or any Portion or Portions of such Imprisonment, or of such Imprisonment with hard Labour, as to the Court in its Discretion shall seem meet.
V Stealing Public or Private Securities for Money, or Warrants for Goods, shall be Felony, and punishable according to the Circumstances, like stealing Goods.
V. And be it enacted, That if any Person shall steal any Tally, Order, or other Security whatsoever, entitling or evidencing the Title of any Person or Body Corporate to any Share or Interest in any Public Stock or Fund, whether of this Kingdom, or ofGreat Britain or of Ireland , or of any Foreign State, or in any Fund of any Body Corporate, Company, or Society, or to any Deposit in any Savings, Bank, or shall steal any Debenture, Deed, Bond, Bill, Note, Warrant, Order, or other Security whatsoever for Money or for Payment of Money, whether of this Kingdom, or of any Foreign State, or shall steal any Warrant or Order for the Delivery or Transfer of any Goods or valuable Thing, every such Offender shall be deemed guilty of Felony, of the same Nature, and in the same Degree, and punishable in the same Manner as if he had stolen any Chattel of like Value with the Share, Interest, or Deposit to which the Security so stolen may relate, or with the Money due, on the Security so stolen or secured thereby and remaining unsatisfied, or with the Value of the Goods or other valuable Thing mentioned in the Warrant or Order; and each of the several Documents hereinbefore enumerated shall throughout this Act be deemed for every Purpose to be included under and denoted by the Words ‘valuable Security.’
VI Robbery from the Person.
VI. And be it enacted, That if any Person shall rob any other Person of any Chattel, Money, or valuable Security, every such Offender, being convicted thereof, shall suffer Death as a Felon; and if any Personshall steal any such Property from the Person of another, or shall assault any other Person with Intentto rob him, or shall with Menaces or by Force demand any such Property of any other Person with Intent to steal the same, every such Offender shall be guilty of Felony, and, being convicted thereof, shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be transported beyond the Seas for Life, or for any Term not less than Seven Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Four Years, and, if a Male, to be once, twice, or thrice publicly or privately whipped (if the Court shall so think fit), in addition to such Imprisonment.
VII Obtaining Money, &c. by threatening to accuse a Party of an infamous Crime.
VII. And be it declared and enacted, That if any Person shall accuse or threaten to accuse any other Person of any infamous Crime, as hereinafter defined, with a View or Intent to extort or gain from him, and shall by intimidating him by such Accusation or Threat extort or gain from him any Chattel, Money, or valuable Security, every such Offender shall be deemed guilty of Robbery, and shall be indicted and punished accordingly.
VIII Sending Letters containing menacing Demands, or threatening to accuse a Party of an infamous Crime, to extort Money, &c.
VIII. And be it enacted, That if any Person shall knowingly send or deliver any Letter or Writing, demanding of any Person, with Menaces, and without any reasonable or probable Cause, any Chattel, Money, or valuable Security; or if any Person shall accuse or threaten to accuse, or shall knowingly send or deliver any Letter or Writing accusing or threatening to accuse, any Person of any Crime punishable by Law with Death, Transportation, or Pillory, or of any Assault with Intent to commit any Rape, or of any Attempt or Endeavour to commit any Rape, or of any infamous Crime, as hereinafter defined, with a View or Intent to extort or gain from such Person any Chattel, Money, or valuable Security; every such Offender shall be guilty of Felony, and, being convicted thereof, shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be transported beyond the Seas for Life, or for any Term not less than Seven Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Four Years, and, if a Male, to be once, twice, or thrice publicly or privately whipped (if the Court shall so think fit), in addition to such Imprisonment.
IX What shall be deemed an infamous Crime.
IX. And, for defining what shall be an infamous Crime within the Meaning of this Act, be it enacted, That the abominable Crime of Buggery, committed either with Mankind or with Beast, and every Assault with Intent to commit the said abominable Crime, and every Attempt or Endeavour to commit the said abominable Crime, and every Solicitation, Persuasion, Promise, or Threat offered or made to any Person, whereby to move or induce such Person to commit or permit the said abominable Crime, shall be deemed to be an infamous Crime within the Meaning of this Act.
X Sacrilege, when capital.
X. And be it enacted, That if any Person shall break and enter any Church or Chapel, and steal therein any Chattel, or having stolen any, Chattel in any Church or Chapel, shall break out of the same, every such Offender, being convicted thereof, shall suffer Death as a Felon.
XI Burglary, capital.
XI. And be it enacted, That every Person convicted of Burglary shall suffer Death as a Felon; and it is hereby declared, that if any Person shall enter the Dwelling House of another with Intent to commit Felony, or being in such Dwelling House shall commit any Felony, and shall in either Case break out of the said Dwelling House, in the Night Time, such Person shall be deemed guilty of Burglary.
XII Housebreaking and stealing in a Houses, when capital.
XII. And be it enacted, That if any Person shall break and enter any Dwelling House, and steal therein any Chattel, Money, or valuable Security to any Value whatever; or shall steal any such Property to any Value whatever in any Dwelling House, any Person therein being put in fear; or shall steal in any Dwelling House any Chattel, Money, or valuable Security to the Value in the whole of Five Pounds or more; every such Offender, being convicted thereof, shall suffer Death as a Felon.
XIII What Buildings only are Part of a...
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