Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918

Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act, 1918[1]

Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title An Act to amend the Law with respect to the Capacity of Women to sit in Parliament.
Statute book chapter 8 & 9 Geo. 5 c. 47
Introduced by Lord Robert Cecil
Territorial extent United Kingdom
Dates
Royal Assent 21 November 1918
Commencement 21 November 1918
Other legislation
Repealing legislation Statute Law Revision Act 1983 (RoI)
Status: Current legislation
Revised text of statute as amended

The Parliament (Qualification of Women Act) 1918 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

It gave women over 21 the right to stand for election as an MP. This meant that women could stand for elections before actually being legally allowed to vote themselves. ("Before" in both senses. Certain women over the age of 30 had been given the franchise by the Representation of the People Act 1918; it was not until 1928 that women were given the vote on equal terms with men.)

At 27 words it is the shortest UK statute. [2]

References

  1. ^ Short title as conferred by s. 2 of the Act; the modern convention for the citation of short titles omits the comma after the word "Act"
  2. ^ Guinness Book of Records

External links