The Commonwealth (Adultery) Act of May 1650 was an act of the English
Rump Parliament
The Rump Parliament was the English Parliament after Colonel Thomas Pride commanded soldiers to purge the Long Parliament, on 6 December 1648, of those members hostile to the Grandees' intention to try King Charles I for high treason.
"Rump" n ...
. It imposed the death penalty for incest and adultery, and three months' imprisonment for fornication. It did not apply to women whose husbands were absent for more than three years and not known to be living.
Like other legislation passed by the
Commonwealth of England
The Commonwealth was the political structure during the period from 1649 to 1660 when England and Wales, later along with Ireland and Scotland, were governed as a republic after the end of the Second English Civil War and the trial and execut ...
, the act was repealed following the
Restoration of the Monarchy
Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to:
* Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage
** Audio restoration
** Film restoration
** Image restoration
** Textile restoration
*Restoration ecology
...
in 1660.
In the history of
adultery in English law
The history of adultery in English law is a complex topic, including changing understandings of what sexual acts constituted adultery (whereby they sometimes overlap with abduction and rape), unequal treatment of men and women under the law, and c ...
, the Act represents the only time since the twelfth century when adultery has been outlawed in secular statute law.
References
External links
Commonwealth (Adultery) Act 1650
Repealed British legislation
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