ILLINOIS
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Production Note
Project Unica
Rare Book & Manuscript Library University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign 2015
v Iftc. c,
ANNO PRIMO
VICTORIA RIXtIN/E.
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CAP. LXXXV.
An Act to amend the Laws relating to Offences against the Person.	[17th July 1837.]
WHEREAS it is expedient to amend so much of an Act passed in the Ninth Year of the Reign of King George the Fourth, intituled An Act for consolidating and amend- 9 G.4. c. 31. mrr the Statutes in England relative to Offences against the1 erson, and also so much of an Act passed in the Tenth Year of the same Reign, intituled An Act for consolidating and amending the Statutes ioG.4.c..n in Ireland relating to Offences against the Person, as relates to any Person who shall unlawfully and maliciously administer or attempt to administer to any Person, or who shall cause to be taken by any Person, any Poison or other destructive Thing, or who shall unlawfully and maliciously attempt to drown, suffocate, or strangle any Person, or who shall counsel, aid, or abet therein; and so much of the same Acts or either of them as relates to any Person who shall unlawfully and maliciously shoot at any Person, or who shall, by drawing a Trigger or in any other Manner, attempt to discharge any Kind of loaded Arms at any Person, or who shall unlawfully and maliciously stab, cut, or wound any Person, or who shall unlawfully and maliciously throw or cast at or upon or otherwise apply to any Person any corrosive or noxious Liquid or Substance, with any ot the Intents in the same Acts mentioned, or who shall counsel, aid, or abet therein ; and so much of the same Acts as relates to any 1 erson who shall use any of the Ways or Means therein mentioned with Intent to procure the Miscarriage of any Woman, or who shall counsel, aid, or abet therein; and so much ot the same Acts as g q.	relates670
1° VICTORIA, Cap. 85.
relates to the Punishment of Accessaries after the Fact to such of the Felonies punishable under those Acts as are herein-before lefened to • Be it therefore enacted by the Queen’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 Repeal of the Authority of the same, That so much of the said Acts as is certain Pro- herein-before referred to shall continue in force until and thioughout visions of t|ie Thirtieth Day of September One thousand eight hundred and recited Acts. ^ ven> and shall from and after that Day be repealed, except as to Offences committed before or upon the said Thirtieth Day of September, which shall be dealt with and punished as if this Act had not been passed.
Punishment for administering Poison or doing other bodily Injury with Intent to commit Murder.
II. And be it enacted, That whosoever shall administer to or cause to be taken by any Person any Poison or other destructive Tiling, or shall stab, cut, or wound any Person, or shall by any Means whatsoever cause to any Person any bodily Injury dangerous to Life, with Intent in any of the Cases aforesaid to commit Murder, shall be guilty of Felony, and being convicted thereof shall suffer Death.
Punishment III. And be it enacted, That whosoever shall attempt to administer for Offences any Person any Poison or other destructive I hing, or shall shoot with Intent at an' person> or shall, by drawing a Trigger or in any other Manner, Murder*attempt to discharge any Kind of loaded Arms at any Person, or though no shall attempt to drown, suffocate, or strangle any Person, with Intent bodily Injury [n any 0f the Cases aforesaid to commit the Crime of Murder, shall, effected. although no bodily Injury shall be effected, be guilty of Felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable, at the Discretion of the Court, to be transported beyond the Seas for the 1 erm of his or her natural Life, or for any Term not less than Fifteen Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Three Years.
Punishment IV. And be it enacted, That whosoever unlawfully and maliciously for cutting shall shoot at any Person, or shall, by drawing a 1 rigger or in any and maiming other Mannerj attempt to discharge any Kind of loaded Arms at any to disfigure Person, or shall stab, cut, or wound any Person, with Intent in any of the Cases aforesaid to maim, disfigure, or disable such 1 erson, or to do some other grievous bodily Harm to such Person, or with Intent to resist or prevent the lawful Apprehension or Detainer ot any Person, 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 the Term of his or her natural Life, or for any Term not less than Fifteen Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Three Years.
Punishment V. And be it enacted, That whosoever shall unlawfully and mali-for sending ciously send or deliver to or cause to be taken or received by any explosive	pers0n any explosive Substance, or any other dangerous or noxious
or throwing Thing, or shall cast or throw upon or otherwise apply to any destructive Person any corrosive Fluid or other destructive Matter, with Intent Matter with in 0f tj,e Cases aforesaid to burn, maim, disfigure, or disable bodily Harm. atly Person, or to do some other grievous bodily Harm to any Persomrli CA O u/ ° ? f
1° VICTORIA, Cap. 85.	(»71
and whereby in any of the Cases aforesaid any Person shall be burnt, maimed, disfigured, or disabled, or receive some other grievous bodily Harm, 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 the Term of bis or her natural Life, or for any Term not less than Fifteen Years, or to be imprisoned for any term not exceeding Three Years.
VI. And be it enacted, That whosoever, with Intent to procure the Miscarriage of any Woman, shall unlawfully administer to her procure or cause to be taken by her any Poison or other noxious Ihing, Abortion, or shall unlawfully use any Instrument or other Means whatsoever with the like Intent, 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 the Term of his or her natural Life, or for any Term not less than Fifteen Years, or to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding Three Years.
VII And be it enacted, That in the Case of every Felony punish- Punishment able under this Act every Principal in the Second Degree, and every of Access*-Accessary before the Fact, shall be punishable with Death 01 otheL-wise in the same Manner as the Principal in the First Degree is by this Act punishable ; and every Accessary after the I act to any Felony punishable under this Act shall, on Conviction, be liable to be imprisoned for any Term not exceeding I wo Years.
VIII.	And be it enacted, That where any Person shall be con- offe.npe?, victed of any Offence punishable under this Act for which Imprison- P“n^narison. ment may be awarded it shall be lawful for the Court to sentence ment.
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 any Portion or Portions of such Imprisonment, or of such Imprisonment with hard Labour, not exceeding One Month at any one rime, and not exceeding Three Months in any one Year, as to the Court in its Discretion shall seem meet.
IX.	And be it further enacted, That nothing in this Act con- Not to affect tained shall be construed to extend to the Alteration.or Repeal of -4. any of the Powers, Provisions, or Regulations contained in an Act c. 3g. arai made and passed in the Fifth and Sixth Years of the Reign of His 4G.t. c. tiJ. late Majesty King William the Fourth, intituled An Act for effecting
greater Uniformity of Practice in the Government oj the several Prisons in England and Wales, and for appointing Inspectors oj Prisons in Great Britain, or in an Act made and passed in the Fourth Year of His Majesty King George the Fourth, intituled An Act for consolidating and amending the Laics relating to the building, repairing, and regulating of certain Gaols and Houses ol Correction in England and Wales.
X.	And be it enacted, That where any Felony punishable under
this Act shall be committed within the Jurisdiction of the Admiralty within tlle of England or of Ireland, the same shall be dealt with, inquired of, jorjstiiction
tried,f)72
of the Admiralty.
Court empowered to imprison for Three Years in certain Cases.
Not to extend to Scotland.
Commencement of Act.
1° VICTORIAS, Cap. 85.
tried, and determined in the same Manner as any other Felony committed within that Jurisdiction.
XI.	And be it enacted, That on the Trial of any Person for any of the Offences herein-before mentioned, or for any Felony whatever, where the Crime charged shall include an Assault against the Person, it shall be lawful for the Jury to acquit of the Felony, and to find a Verdict of Guilty of Assault against the Person indicted, if the Evidence shall warrant such Finding ; and when such Verdict shall be found, the Court shall have Power to imprison the Person so found guilty of an Assault for any Term not exceeding Three Years.
XII.	Provided always, and be it enacted, That nothing in this Act contained shall extend to Scotland.
XIII.	And be it enacted, That this Act shall commence and take effect on the First Day of October One thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven.
LONDON : Printed by George Eyre and Andrew Spottiswoode, Printers to the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty. 1837.