Treason Act 1702
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act for enlarging the Time for taking the Oath of Abjuration; and also for re-capacitating and indemnifying such Persons as have not taken the same by the Time limited, and shall take the same by a Time to be appointed; and for the further Security of Her Majesty's Person, and the Succession of the Crown in the Protestant Line; and for extinguishing the Hopes of the pretended Prince of Wales, and all other Pretenders, and their open and secret Abettors. |
|---|---|
| Citation |
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| Territorial extent | |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 27 February 1703 |
| Commencement | 1 March 1702 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | |
| Relates to | |
Status: Partially repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
| Text of the Treason Act 1702 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
| Treason Act (Ireland) 1703 | |
|---|---|
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act to make it High Treason in this Kingdom to impeach the Succession of the Crown, as limited by several Acts of Parliament. |
| Citation | 2 Anne c. 5 (I) |
| Territorial extent | Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 4 March 1704 |
| Commencement | 21 September 1703 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | |
| Relates to | |
Status: Partially repealed | |
| Status | |
| Republic of Ireland | Repealed |
| Northern Ireland | Current legislation |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
| Text of the Treason Act (Ireland) 1703 [I] as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
The Treason Act 1702 (1 Ann. St. 2. c. 21) is an act of the Parliament of England, passed to enforce the line of succession to the English throne (today the British throne), previously established by the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement 1701 (12 & 13 Will. 3. c. 2).
The act makes it treason to "endeavour to deprive or hinder any person who shall be the next in succession to the crown for the time being ... from succeeding after the decease of her Majesty (whom God long preserve) to the imperial crown of this realm and the dominions and territories thereunto belonging".
Originally a capital offence, the penalty was reduced in 1998 to life imprisonment.
Although the act was passed by the English Parliament, it was later extended to Scotland by the Treason Act 1708 (7 Ann. c. 21), following the Union of the two kingdoms in the previous year. The Parliament of Ireland passed a law to the same effect in 1703, the Treason Act (Ireland) 1703 (2 Anne c. 5 (I)). This is still in force in Northern Ireland.