Law Reform (Year and a Day Rule) Act 1996 facts for kids
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| Long title | An Act to abolish the “year and a day rule” and, in consequence of its abolition, to impose a restriction on the institution in certain circumstances of proceedings for a fatal offence. |
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| Statute book chapter | 1996 c. 19 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales Northern Ireland |
| Dates | |
| Royal Assent | 17 June 1996 |
| Commencement | 17 June 1996 (all provisions bar Section 2) 17 August 1996 (Section 2) |
| Status: | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Text of the Law Reform (Year and a Day Rule) Act 1996 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk | |
The Law Reform (Year and a Day Rule) Act 1996 is a short Act of Parliament which abolished the year and a day rule in English law and Northern Irish law. The year and a day rule was an ancient rule of the common law which created a conclusive presumption that a death was not murder (or any other form of homicide) if it occurred more than a year and a day since the act (or omission) that was alleged to have been its cause. The precise scope of the rule was unclear. .....
The Act has only three sections. Section 1 simply says:
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The remaining two sections provide that a prosecution where a death occurs more than three years after an injury, or where the accused was previously convicted of an offence committed in circumstances connected with the death (for example, a previous conviction for grievous bodily harm), can be instituted only with the consent of the Attorney General.
The Act started as a private member's bill introduced by Doug Hoyle MP, who came 16th in the ballot in the 1995/6 Parliamentary session. The Act received Royal Assent on 17 June 1996, and the abolition of the year and a day rule came into effect for acts (or omissions) leading to death on that day.
