The Statute of Northampton (2 Edw. 3) is legislation passed by the
parliament of England
The Parliament of England was the legislature of the Kingdom of England from the 13th century until 1707 when it was replaced by the Parliament of Great Britain. Parliament evolved from the great council of bishops and peers that advise ...
which met in
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England ...
in 1328. The parliament also ratified the
Treaty of Edinburgh–Northampton which ended the
First War of Scottish Independence
The First War of Scottish Independence was the first of a series of wars between English and Scottish forces. It lasted from the English invasion of Scotland in 1296 until the ''de jure'' restoration of Scottish independence with the Treaty ...
.
List of chapters
* (Confirmation of charters) c. 1
* (Pardons for felony, justices of assize, etc.) c. 2
* (Riding or going armed) c. 3
* (Sheriff) c. 4
* (Sheriff) c. 5
* (Confirmation of statutes, etc.) c. 6
* (Inquiry of past felons, etc.) c. 7
* (Commands in delay of justice) c. 8 — repealed by the
Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1969, section 1 an
Schedule Part I
* (The staples) c. 9
* (Pardon of fines) c. 10
* (Common Bench) c. 11
* (Annexing hundreds to counties) c. 12
* (Process for past trespasses) c. 13
* (Measure, etc. of cloths imported) c. 14
* (Keeping of fairs) c. 15
* (Inquests) c. 16
* (Writs of deceit) c. 17
Riding armed
Chapter 3 would later be argued in legal disputes in the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
about
Second Amendment rights. It said
Item, it is enacted, that no man great nor small, of what condition soever he be, except the King's servants in his presence, and his ministers in executing of the King's precepts, or of their office, and such as be in their company assisting them, and also pon a cry made for arms to keep the peace, and the same in such places where such acts happen,be so hardy to come before the King's justices, or other of the King's ministers doing their office, with force and arms, nor bring no force in affray of the peace, nor to go nor ride armed by night nor by day, in fairs, markets, nor in the presence of the justices or other ministers, nor in no part elsewhere, upon pain to forfeit their armour to the King, and their bodies to prison at the King's pleasure.
The modern relevance of the legislation has been disputed: firearms did not exist at the time, and it is not immediately clear whether "nor to go nor to ride armed" (originally ''ne de chivaucher ne de daler arme'' in
Anglo-Norman French) referred to carrying weapons or to wearing armour; it is also not clear whether it should be read primarily as permitting riding armed in the context of an official militia or posse, or as a prohibition in other situations.
''Qui tam''
Chapter 15 regulated fairs and in particular required a lord to follow a royal charter or established usage to keep a fair open "for the Time that they ought to hold it, and
no longer," with pre-publication of the closing time, subject to a fine for the lord and grievous punishment for the merchants if the fair stayed open longer. Enforcement against sales after the closing time of the fair was strengthened three years later with ''
qui tam
In common law, a writ of ''qui tam'' is a writ through which private individuals who assist a prosecution can receive for themselves all or part of the damages or financial penalties recovered by the government as a result of the prosecution. It ...
'' provisions in the Sale of Wares after Close of Fair Act 1331 (5 Edw. 3 c. 5), allowing private citizens to prosecute cases and receive a quarter of the fines based on double the value of improperly sold goods. This provision was not repealed until the
Common Informers Act 1951
The Common Informers Act 1951 (14 & 15 Geo. 6, c. 39) is an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament that abolishes the principle of, and procedures concerning a common informer.
Background
A common informer was a person who provided evidence on cri ...
.
See also
*
List of Acts of the Parliament of England to 1483
This is a list of Acts of the Parliament of England for the years up until 1483.
For Acts passed during the period 1707–1800 see List of Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain. See also the List of Acts of the Parliament of Scotland, the ...
References
External links
*
{{UK legislation
English laws
1320s in law
History of Northampton
1328 in England
Political history of medieval England
Gun politics in the United States
Legal history of the United Kingdom