Riot Act, The

By British Parliament

Book Id: WPLBN0002950236
Format Type:
File Size: 9.37 MB
Reproduction Date: 2006

Title:	Riot Act, The
Author:	British Parliament
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Non-fiction, Essay/Short nonfiction
Collections:	Audio Books Collection, Riot Act, The
Historic Publication Date:	1715
Publisher:	LibriVox Audio Books


Citation APA MLA Chicago Parliament, B. B. (1715). Riot Act, The. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.us/

Description
The Riot Act was passed by the British Parliament in 1714, the first year of the reign of George I, and came into effect in August 1715. This was a time of widespread social disturbance, as the preamble describes; the Act sought to put an end to this. A group of twelve or more people, “being unlawfully, riotously and tumultuously assembled”, would be read a proclamation; they must disperse within an hour, on pain of death. The same fate would befall anyone preventing the reading of the proclamation, or damaging buildings while on a riot. If the law enforcement officers happened to injure or kill a rioter, they were immune from prosecution. The reading of the proclamation, the wording of which is detailed in the Act, was the necessary first step before action could be taken against the rioters. This gave us the phrase “to read the riot act”, to give a stern warning or rebuke. The Act was repealed in Britain in 1973, but had long since fallen into disuse there. A version is still in force in Canada.

Summary
Electronic recorded live performance of a reading

Excerpt
Essay/Short nonfiction