Murders Abroad Act 1817
| Jurisdiction | UK Non-devolved |
| Citation | 1817 c. 53 |
| Year | 1817 |
(57 Geo. 3) C A P. LIII.
[27th June 1817]
'WHEREAS grievous Murders and Manslaughters have been committed at the Settlement in the Bay ofHonduras in South America , the same being a Settlement, for certain Purposes, in the Possession and under the Protection of His Majesty, but not within the Territory and Dominion of His Majesty, by Persons residing and being within the said Settlement; and the like Offences have also been committed in the South Pacific Ocean, as well on the High Seas as on Land, in the Islands of New Zealand and Otaheite , and in other Islands, Countries and Places not within His Majesty's Dominions, by the Masters and Crews of British Ships, and other Persons who have for the most Part deserted from or left their Ships, and have continued to live and reside amongst the Inhabitants of those Islands; whereby great Violence has been done, and a general Scandal and Prejudice raised against the Name and Character of British and other European Traders: And Whereas such Crimes and Offences do escape unpunished, by reason of the Difficulty of bringing to Trial the Persons guilty thereof:' For Remedy whereof be it 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 Parliamentassembled, and by the Authority of the same, That from and after the passing of this Act all Murders and Manslaughters committed or that shall be committed on Land at the said Settlement in the Bay ofHonduras by any Person or Persons residing or being within the said Settlement, and all Murders and Manslaughters committed or that shall be committed in the said Islands of New Zealand and Otaheite , or within any other Islands, Countries, or Places not within His Majesty's Dominions, nor subject to any European State or Power, nor within the Territory of the United States of America , by the Master or Crew of any British Ship or Vessel, or any of them, or by any Person sailing in or belonging thereto, or that shall have sailed in or belonged to and have quitted any British Ship or Vessel to live in any of the said Islands, Countries, or Places, or either of them, or that shall be there living, shall and may be tried, adjudged and punished in any of His Majesty's Islands, Plantations...
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