The Metropolitan Police Act 1829 (10 Geo.4, c.44) is an Act of the

Parliament of the United Kingdom The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...

, introduced by Sir Robert Peel, which established the

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Metropolitan Police The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), formerly and still commonly known as the Metropolitan Police (and informally as the Met Police, the Met, Scotland Yard, or the Yard), is the territorial police force responsible for law enforcement and ...

(with the exception of the

City of London The City of London is a city, ceremonial county and local government district that contains the historic centre and constitutes, alongside Canary Wharf, the primary central business district (CBD) of London. It constituted most of London f ...

), replacing the previously disorganized system of parish constables and

watchmen ''Watchmen'' is an American comic book maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 1987 before being collected in a single-vo ...

. It is one of the Metropolitan Police Acts 1829 to 1895.

The Act

The Act was the enabling legislation for what is often considered to be the first modern police force, the "bobbies" or "peelers" (after Peel), which served as the model for modern urban

policing The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and t ...

throughout Britain. Until the passage of the Act, the

Statute of Winchester The Statute of Winchester of 1285 (13 Edw. I, St. 2; Law French: '), also known as the Statute of Winton, was a statute enacted by King Edward I of England that reformed the system of Watch and Ward ( watchmen) of the Assize of Arms of 1252, and r ...

of 1285 was cited as the primary legislation regulating the policing of the country since the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conq ...

References

Citations

Notes

External links

Inspector Denning - Victorian Police in Westminster - UK Parliament Living HeritageMetropolitan Police Act 1829 on the UK Parliament website
Crime, Punishment and Protest Through Time, c.1450-2004 {{UK legislation United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1829 Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning London History of the Metropolitan Police 1829 in London Police legislation in the United Kingdom Robert Peel

The Act

See also

References

Citations

Notes

Further reading

External links