Treasons Act 1534
Encyclopedia
The Treasons Act 1534 was an Act
passed by the Parliament of England
in 1534, during the reign of King Henry VIII
.
This Act was passed after the Act of Supremacy 1534, which made the king the "Only Head
of the Church of England
on Earth." The 1534 Act made it treason
, punishable by death, to disavow the Act of Supremacy. Sir Thomas More
was executed under this Act.
It was introduced as a blanket law in order to deal with the minority of cases who would refuse to accept Cromwell
's and Henry's changes in policies, instead of using the more traditional method of attainders
.
The Act specified that all those were guilty of high treason who:
The word 'maliciously' was added in several cases to require evil intent
, and the Act meant that it was very dangerous to say anything against what the King had done.
The Act also made it treason to rebelliously keep or withhold from the King his castles, forts, ships, or artillery, and to fail to surrender any of them within six days of being commanded to do so. It also abolished sanctuary
for those accused of high treason.
The Treasons Act 1534 was repeal
ed by the Treason Act 1547
.
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...
passed by 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...
in 1534, during the reign of King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
.
This Act was passed after the Act of Supremacy 1534, which made the king the "Only Head
Supreme Governor of the Church of England
The Supreme Governor of the Church of England is a title held by the British monarchs which signifies their titular leadership over the Church of England. Although the monarch's authority over the Church of England is not strong, the position is still very relevant to the church and is mostly...
of the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
on Earth." The 1534 Act made it treason
Treason
In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more extreme acts against one's sovereign or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife. Treason against the king was known as high treason and treason against a...
, punishable by death, to disavow the Act of Supremacy. Sir Thomas More
Thomas More
Sir Thomas More , also known by Catholics as Saint Thomas More, was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman and noted Renaissance humanist. He was an important councillor to Henry VIII of England and, for three years toward the end of his life, Lord Chancellor...
was executed under this Act.
It was introduced as a blanket law in order to deal with the minority of cases who would refuse to accept Cromwell
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex
Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex, , was an English statesman who served as chief minister of King Henry VIII of England from 1532 to 1540....
's and Henry's changes in policies, instead of using the more traditional method of attainders
Bill of attainder
A bill of attainder is an act of a legislature declaring a person or group of persons guilty of some crime and punishing them without benefit of a judicial trial.-English law:...
.
The Act specified that all those were guilty of high treason who:
The word 'maliciously' was added in several cases to require evil intent
Mens rea
Mens rea is Latin for "guilty mind". In criminal law, it is viewed as one of the necessary elements of a crime. The standard common law test of criminal liability is usually expressed in the Latin phrase, actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea, which means "the act does not make a person guilty...
, and the Act meant that it was very dangerous to say anything against what the King had done.
The Act also made it treason to rebelliously keep or withhold from the King his castles, forts, ships, or artillery, and to fail to surrender any of them within six days of being commanded to do so. It also abolished sanctuary
Sanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
for those accused of high treason.
The Treasons Act 1534 was repeal
Repeal
A repeal is the amendment, removal or reversal of a law. This is generally done when a law is no longer effective, or it is shown that a law is having far more negative consequences than were originally envisioned....
ed by the Treason Act 1547
Treason Act 1547
The Treason Act 1547 was an Act of the Parliament of England. It is mainly notable for being the first instance of the rule that two witnesses are needed to prove a charge of treason, a rule which still exists today in the United States Constitution.-Abolition of new offences:During the reign of...
.