Forfeitures Act 1360
Encyclopedia
The Forfeitures Act 1360 (34 Ed.3 c.12) was an Act
of the Parliament of England
. It prohibited "forfeiture
for treason
of[by] dead persons not attainted
or judged in their lives." Prior to the Act being passed, land and goods had been confiscated from the surviving relatives of dead people as a penalty for treason committed by the deceased even though they had not been convicted during their lifetime. The Act prevented the posthumous seizure of property for treason except where the prior owner had been convicted while they were alive.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament of England
Parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England. In 1066, William of Normandy introduced a feudal system, by which he sought the advice of a council of tenants-in-chief and ecclesiastics before making laws...
. It prohibited "forfeiture
Forfeiture (law)
Forfeiture is deprivation or destruction of a right in consequence of the non-performance of some obligation or condition. It can be accidental, and therefore is distinguished from waiver; see waiver and forfeiture....
for treason
High treason
High treason is criminal disloyalty to one's government. Participating in a war against one's native country, attempting to overthrow its government, spying on its military, its diplomats, or its secret services for a hostile and foreign power, or attempting to kill its head of state are perhaps...
of
Attainder
In English criminal law, attainder or attinctura is the metaphorical 'stain' or 'corruption of blood' which arises from being condemned for a serious capital crime . It entails losing not only one's property and hereditary titles, but typically also the right to pass them on to one's heirs...
or judged in their lives." Prior to the Act being passed, land and goods had been confiscated from the surviving relatives of dead people as a penalty for treason committed by the deceased even though they had not been convicted during their lifetime. The Act prevented the posthumous seizure of property for treason except where the prior owner had been convicted while they were alive.
Reference
- Statutes at Large, vol. II, Danby Pickering, Cambridge University Press (1762), pp. 141-142.
See also
- High treason in the United KingdomHigh treason in the United KingdomUnder the law of the United Kingdom, high treason is the crime of disloyalty to the Crown. Offences constituting high treason include plotting the murder of the sovereign; having sexual intercourse with the sovereign's consort, with his eldest unmarried daughter, or with the wife of the heir to the...
- Treason ActTreason ActTreason Act or Treasons Act is a stock short title used for legislation in the United Kingdom and in the Republic of Ireland on the subject of treason and related offences...