Libel Act 1792
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act to remove Doubts respecting the Functions of Juries in Cases of Libel. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 32 Geo. 3. c. 60 |
| Territorial extent | Great Britain |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 15 June 1792 |
| Commencement | 31 January 1792 |
| Repealed |
|
| Other legislation | |
| Repealed by |
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Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
| Text of the Libel Act 1792 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Libel Act 1792 (32 Geo. 3. c. 60) (also known as Fox's Act) was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain. At the urging of the Whig politician Charles James Fox, the Act restored to juries the right to decide what was libel and whether a defendant was guilty, rather than leaving it solely to the judge.
The act itself only applied to criminal trials, but the rules it created have come to be applied in civil trials.
Edmund Burke presented a similar bill in 1771. Charles James Fox opposed it and it was not passed.