Piracy Act 1698

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Acts of Parliament of predecessor states to the United Kingdom
Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of England to 1601 Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of England to 1659 Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of England to 1699 Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of England to 1706 Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Scotland Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Ireland
Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom
1707–1719 \| 1720–1739 \| 1740–1759 \| 1760–1779 1780–1800 \| 1801–1819 \| 1820–1839 \| 1840–1859 1860–1879 \| 1880–1899 \| 1900–1919 \| 1920–1939 1940–1959 \| 1960–1979 \| 1980–1999 \| 2000–Present
Acts of the Scottish Parliament
Acts of the Northern Ireland Parliament
Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Orders in Council for Northern Ireland
United Kingdom Statutory Instruments

The Piracy Act 1698 c.7 was an Act of Parliament of the Parliament of Englandpassed in the eleventh year of William III. The long title of the Act is "An Act for the more effectuall Suppressions of Piracy". ^[1]

It altered the Offences at Sea Act 1536, to say that "all piracies, felonies, and robberies committed in or upon the sea, or in any haven, river, creek, or place, where the admiral or admirals have power, authority, or jurisdiction, may be examined, inquired of, tried, heard and determined, and adjudged, according to the directions of this Act, in any place at sea, or upon the land, in any of his majesty’s islands, plantations, colonies, dominions, forts, or factories, to be appointed for that purpose by the King’s commission or commissions under the great seal of England, or the seal of the admiralty of England, directed to all or any of the admirals, viceadmirals, reer-admirals, judges of vice-admiralties, or commanders of any of his majesty’s ships of war, and also to all or any such person or persons, officer or officers, by name, or for the time being, as his majesty shall think fit to appoint;" - in other words, pirates could be tried other than in England, due to the "great trouble and charges in sending them into England to be tried within the realm".

It also added the death penalty for subjects committing piracy or robbery upon other subjects whilst under the colours of a "foreign prince or state", or for being an accessory to piracy; and added some new offences including deserting a ship (forfeiture of all wages) and refusing to "bring home with him again all such of the men which he carried out with him" (three months imprisonment).

It was finally repealed in the UK by the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1993.[1], and in Australia by the Statute Law Amendment Act 2002 (No 2).

[edit] References

^ 'William III, 1698-9: An Act for the more effectuall Suppressions of Piracy. [Chapter VII. Rot. Parl. 11 Gul. III. p. 2. n. 5.]', Statutes of the Realm: volume 7: 1695-1701 (1820), pp. 590-94. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=46966. Date accessed: 16 February 2007.