Office of the Attorney General - Statute Law Revision Unit
Better Regulation - The Statute Law Revision (Pre-1922) Bill 2004
Updated information on the proposal to repeal legislation enacted pre-1922 that is still in force
Background
The Government White Paper on Better Regulation (February 2004) set out the core principles of Better Regulation and a programme of action to give effect to them. One of these actions involved a review of the stock of pre-1922 legislation, some of which is clearly obsolete and some of which remains of central importance to our legal system.
The priority in this exercise was to identify Acts in force from 1235 to 1922 that should be repealed and to get an overview of the size and scope of what would be involved in modernising pre-1922 legislation.
The repeal of legislation that is no longer necessary ensures that the 'Statute Book' is kept up to date. This policy is in keeping with good practice in the management of the regulatory framework whereby regular reviews of existing legislation are undertaken to ensure the original objectives are still being met and that the purpose for the legislation is still valid.
The subsequent consultation process
A list of the Acts proposed for repeal was set out on this website in July 2004 for public comment. Those Acts were then subjected to a consultation process with Government Departments and Offices primarily concerned with their administration and with other interested parties. As a result, the Statute Law Revision (Pre-1922) Bill 2004 was published on the 23rd of November 2004.
Following the publication of the Bill it was decided to embark on a further more detailed study of the pre-1922 legislation by examining a more comprehensive legislative source. The SLRU identified further Acts for repeal, which were notified on this website in April 2005. Interested parties were invited to comment on the proposed additions by 13th May 2005.
The current position
The Bill was passed by the Seanad on 25th May 2005. The Bill has yet to be read in the Dáil. A small number of further Acts are under consideration for repeal in the Bill by way of their inclusion at Committee Stage in the Dáil. The public are invited to comment on the attached list of possible amendments.
The Bill as passed by the Seanad can be viewed at the following link:
In Writing:
Statute Law Revision Unit
Office of the Attorney General
Government Buildings
Dublin 2
By E-Mail:
statutelawrevision@ag.irlgov.ie
By Telephone:
01 6314011
A list of the additional Acts proposed for repeal is set out below, hard copies may be obtained from the Statute Law Revision Unit.
MS Word
format - Additional acts for inclusion in 2004 Bill - (38Kb)