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The Statutes Project

@statutes.bsky.social
559 followers 282 following 144 posts

Opening up Historic British Law and Legislation and digitally deforming it

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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 13h
There's an urban (rural?) myth that James I passed a law requiring the planting of Mulberry trees. He did promote them, but there was no statutory requirement. Rabbit hole here: shkspr.mobi/blog/2017/01... #History
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Simon Jones @simonjones.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Thank you @statutes.bsky.social for enabling me to find the 1925 Statutory Rules and Orders on Lunacy buried deep within a Google Books pdf. I salute you!🫡🙏🖖https://statutes.org.uk/site/collections/british-and-irish/statutory-rules-orders-instruments/
statutes.org.uk
Statutory Rules, Orders, Instruments
Statutory Instruments (known, prior to 1948, as Statutory Rules or Orders) are delegated legislation, powers allowed to the executive by the actual statutes. For a concise introduction, see Wikiped…
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Open Library of Humanities @openlibhums.org · 07/09/2026
We’re delighted to announce that the Oxford University Commonwealth Law Journal (OUCLJ) will join OLH in Spring 2027, moving from Taylor & Francis to our diamond open access model and becoming OLH’s first law journal! Read more: www.openlibhums.org/news/986/
openlibhums.org
OLH flips Oxford University journal away from a commercial publisher
This September, OLH welcomes another journal that is flipping from a commercial publishing model. The Oxford University Commonwealth Law Journal (OUCLJ) will leave Taylor and Francis and move to OLH …
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The text of this equivocal act: statutes.org.uk/site/the-sta... #LegalHistory #EnslavedHistory
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Really good map interface to Elizabethan Court of Requests cases, based on the National Archives catalogue, from @sharonhoward.bsky.social : inhermindseye.github.io/mindseye/pos... #History #LegalHistory
inhermindseye.github.io
A Map of the Elizabethan Court of Requests – In Her Mind’s Eye
TNA REQ 2 Pleadings by English and Welsh counties, 1558-1603
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Daniel F Gosling @thegozfather.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
You can now quickly identify single female plaintiffs in Court of Requests cases by searching REQ 2 for the code "SFP". Over 2,500 hits. discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_s...
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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Daniel F Gosling @thegozfather.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
Some very REQciting news. My Court of Requests pleadings (REQ 2/16-424) project is now complete. Over 28,000 items dating from c.1547-c.1625 (Edw VI to Jas I) now searchable online. Happy researching everyone 🙂 discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/C...
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Text of the act here: www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1963/4... #LegalHistory
legislation.gov.uk
Legislation.gov.uk
The official home of UK legislation, revised and as enacted 1267-present. This website is managed by The National Archives on behalf of HM Government. Publishing all UK legislation is a core part of t...
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Back up again.
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Site is down again. Looking into it.
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Statutes site currently down, due to problems with my hosts server. More news as I get it.
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
The Irish Legislation Database is back, at a new URL: resources.qub.ac.uk/ild/ Be warned: there seem to be quite a few broken links. #LegalHistory #History
resources.qub.ac.uk
Irish Legislation Database : Home
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Daniel F Gosling @thegozfather.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
I had a blast at this year's British Legal History Conference at the University of Nottingham, where I was talking about my early findings from surveying the whole of the Star Chamber estreats of fines in TNA E 159. [1/3]
Title slide with writing and an image of a 16th Century record
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Dr James Peate @jamesepeate.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Today the government repealed the 1824 Vagrancy Act. The focus has been on rough sleeping but the government has also accidentality repealed one of the most anti-Romani pieces of legislation. I've been researching the act and here's why its interesting www.gov.uk/government/n... 1/5
gov.uk
Rough sleeping no longer a crime as Vagrancy Act repealed
The government will repeal the Vagrancy Act on Monday 29 June 2026, ending nearly two centuries of legislation that has criminalised rough sleeping and begging.
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Good riddance to this awful law: statutes.org.uk/site/the-sta... #LegalHistory
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IrishBeerHistory @beerfoodtravel.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I found a quite interesting book today. It's well indexed too, for example in case you were wondering if you were obliged to let a tiger stay in your establishment? I can see how that would be a gray area, but seemingly no...
The Law of Innkeepers book by Jelf & Hurst from 1904.Index with:

TIGER-
Lord Esher's illustration of, as luggage which an innkeeper is not bound to admit.There may be cases where a guest arrives at the inn bringing something which the innkeeper is not bound to receive. 'If the traveller brought something exceptional which is not luggage-such as a tiger or a packet of dynamite-the innkeeper might refuse to take it in.'
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Internet Archive @archive.org · 12/06/2026
On #LovingDay, explore the legal records behind Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Supreme Court case that struck down laws banning interracial marriage. The Internet Archive has digitized and made available the briefs, lower-court opinions, and related documents. archive.org/details/micr...
archive.org
Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967) (No. 395) : Supreme Court of the United States : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Case name: Loving v. VirginiaOpinion filed: 1967-06-12Docket No.: 395Citations:• 18 L. Ed. 2d 1010• 87 S. Ct. 1817• 388 U.S. 1• 1967 U.S. LEXIS...
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Law and Humanities @law-and-humanities.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
New issue marks 100 years since first publication of Kafka's brilliant unfinished novel 'The Castle': guest editorial (Ekaterina Yahyaoui Krivenko) and all research articles, essays, arts and book reviews now available on the website: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
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Peter Webster @peterwebster.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
It's taken a while, but there's now an Open Access version of an essay of mine (the publisher offered no route to OA, with or without embargo). Come and satisfy all your canon law history needs: 'Parliament and the law of the Church of England, 1943–74 peterwebster.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...
peterwebster.wordpress.com
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
A case of LLM vs LLM: Judge Learns Lawyers on Both Sides of Case Used AI, Cancels Trial, Kicks Everyone Off the Case www.404media.co/judge-learns... #LegalAI
404media.co
Judge Learns Lawyers on Both Sides of Case Used AI, Cancels Trial, Kicks Everyone Off the Case
When two AIs argue against each other, the legal system loses.
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Mitra Sharafi @mitrasharafi.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
For anyone who published a book, article, or digital project on legal history between Jan.2025 and Dec.2026: you should apply to be featured in the ASLH's virtual event series for next yr--"Making Connections: New Works in Legal History, 2026-27." Due June 30, 2026: aslh.net/virtual-book... (1/2)
aslh.net
Making Connections: New Works in Legal History, 2026-27 | American Society for Legal History
Making Connections: New Works in Legal History Series Sponsored by the American Society for Legal History Deadline for Applications: June 30, 2026 The ASLH Making Connections: New Works in Legal Histo...
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Not before time: France overturns law classing people as property – 178 years after it abolished slavery National assembly votes to repeal Code Noir under which enslaved people were beaten, raped and killed www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m... #LegalHistory #EnslavedHistory
theguardian.com
France overturns law classing people as property – 178 years after it abolished slavery
National assembly votes to repeal Code Noir under which enslaved people were beaten, raped and killed
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Precisely why I started the Statutes Project: to make legislation discoverable, useable and citable. Whilst there's some very bad citation practices by historians, it is also needlessly difficult, and the infrastructure is lacking.
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Tyler McBrien @tylermcbrien.com · 10/05/2026
🚨 NEW TOOL for U.S. legal journalists ⚖️ I turned @allyjar.bsky.social's incredible crowdsourced Google doc on accessing state court records into an interactive map. Check it out and let me know about any errors, missing information, or ways I can improve this thing (link below)
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
A bit easier to scroll: statutes.org.uk/site/the-sta... #LegalHistory
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Daniel F Gosling @thegozfather.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
At the Restoration in 1660, it was agreed that Charles II's reign began immediately following the death of Charles I a decade earlier, essentially ignoring the Interregnum. Some documents were even retroactively given a regnal year, like this 1649 Commonwealth record dated 1 Car. 2 [E 133/145/72]
Document ticket with stamp and archival referenceParchment with writing on it
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IrishPhilosophy @irishphilosophy.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Does anyone know what's happened to the Irish Legislation Database? When I go to www.qub.ac.uk/ild/ I get a not found message and a search isn't yielding anything. @irishstudiesqub.bsky.social @qubhistory.bsky.social @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social Panicking just a little here...
qub.ac.uk
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British History Online @bho.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
For #NationalTeaDay, what I think is the first statute to mention Tea. Taxes it, of course. A Grant of certaine Impositions upon Beere Ale and other Liquors for the encrease of His Majestyes Revenue dureing His Life. www.british-history.ac.uk/statutes-rea... #History
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Merrilee Proffitt @merrileeiam.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
I'm excited to share that we've made a collection of historic Supreme Court Records and Briefs available via @archive.org I've written a blog post where I go into detail about the importance of this collection. blog.archive.org/2026/04/20/u...
blog.archive.org
U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs: The Arguments That Shaped America, Now Freely Available | Internet Archive Blogs
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Re:Create Coalition @recreatecoalition.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
🚨Tomorrow, @JudiciaryGOP & @HouseJudiciary hold a hearing on the PRO CODES Act. As SCOTUS has already ruled: “No one can own the law.” This bill threatens that precedent by extending copyright to public laws and standards, restricting your right to access the rules we live by. ⚖️🏛️
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Dr Zack White @zwhitehistory.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Race, Law and Empire, 1750-1850 Conference University of Southampton AND online 17th - 18th July 2026 Call for Papers extended by popular request. Full details below. Please share widely. Established, emerging researchers are very welcome. Supported by @leverhulme.ac.uk
Call for papers for Law, race and empire conference:

By popular request, we are pleased to offer an extended deadline of 
Tuesday 28th April for proposals for this exciting event.

The law and its authority has always been a contested space. From the adversarial trial and debates on legal reform to discretionary decision making on who was tried, and pleas for clemency, the way people have navigated legal landscapes has always been both fraught and multi-faceted. This complexity is exacerbated in the imperial context, where the law could be both a symbol of the metropole’s control and, conversely, a safeguard against oppression. 

Over the last half century studies of legal practice, race relations and the maintenance of empires have flourished, deepening our understanding of these aspects of 18th and 19th century life. Yet this was an age where the abolitionist movement ensured that race and the law were a key part of the social agenda. Simultaneously, European militaries engaged in imperial expansion and policing, often forming racialist attitudes in the process which were both adopted, and influenced, by the metropole. 

Race, law and empire, therefore, should not be considered in isolation. This conference, which forms part of the Leverhulme Trust Funded ‘Sepoys and Slave Soldiers’ Research Fellowship, aims to take a holistic view of the intersections between race, law, armed forces and imperialist projects. In doing so, it seeks to widen our understanding of constructions of race, the rule of law and the operation of empires. 

This international, hybrid conference welcomes proposals for 20 minute papers, or full panels of three papers, which explore any two of the conference’s three core themes of race, empire and law between 1750 and 1850.

300 word paper proposals, with a 150 word biography and a stated preference for in person or online attendance, should be submitted to Dr Zack White (zack.white@port.ac.uk).
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Daniel F Gosling @thegozfather.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
On 11 June 2026, I'm running an online intro to early modern legal records, part of The National Archives' Practical Archival Skills Training #TNAPAST workshops. More details can be found via the link. For accompanying on-site workshops, see the below thread www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/past-early...
eventbrite.co.uk
PAST Early Modern Legal: Online Overview
A one-day online introduction to Early Modern Legal records.
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Mike Lissner @michaeljaylissner.com · 16/04/2026
Story time. Back in 2009, when I started CourtListener, I had the goal of collecting all the case law. I was young, naive, and I worked really hard at it. I gathered data from places like Public.Resource.org, and scraped what I could from other sources. 1/4
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Arthur C. Clerk's Mysterious World @fantasticlife.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Happily, our regnal year calculator - niche even by our standards - only covers the lifespan of the UK Parliament, so does not need to cope with regicide api.parliament.uk/regnal-years
api.parliament.uk
UK Parliament session citations
Session citations for the UK Parliament.
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
A fine instance of how problematic regnal calendars are.
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Daniel F Gosling @thegozfather.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
In 1660, judges couldn't agree on which regnal year to use in the indictment against the regicides, as the crime of killing Charles I occurred on the last regnal day of Charles I's reign but also the first of Charles II's. So they just went with "30 Jan 1649" [from Sir John Kelyng's Reports]
Printed text from the Reports of Sir John Kelyng
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Rhuta Bhayga @rhutabhayga.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
For the first time ever, **in 2026**, it will be legal in Missouri for pregnant women to divorce their husbands. divorce.law/guides/news/...
divorce.law
Missouri Passes HB 1908: Pregnant Women Can Now Finalize Divorce
Missouri Senate votes 29-0 to pass HB 1908 letting pregnant women finalize divorce. Takes effect August 28, 2026. First state to address this issue in 2026.
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Sarah Bull @sarahebull.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
And he's now offering an even more comprehensive list at: statutes.org.uk/site/collect...
statutes.org.uk
Chronological
This page lists volumes of statutes in chronological order, from the Act of Union between England and Scotland, up to fifty years ago when government publications come into the public domain. The v…
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Daniel F Gosling @thegozfather.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Look, Statutes of the Realm is nice and all, but let's be honest, this illuminated 15th Century statute book is nicer. TNA E 164/10
Illuminated Statute BookIlluminated Statute Book
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
The Stamp Act: statutes.org.uk/site/the-sta... The repeal: statutes.org.uk/site/the-sta... #History #LegalHistory
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Dr Kathleen Neal @kbneal.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Any #EarlyModern folks out there who could recommend printed legal materials from England in the early 1630s, especially linked to forest law? I have a student who wants to work on this area for an undergraduate dissertation, & the go-to series I know for medieval legal sources aren't helping much.
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Brodie Waddell @brodiewaddell.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
I completely forgot I made this... a big list of English judicial records, 1500 to 1800, published and often online!
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
Things You MUST NOT DO In Covent Garden A look at the old market byelaws painted on boards at Covent Garden. londonist.com/london/histo... #LegalHistory #London
londonist.com
Things You MUST NOT DO In Covent Garden
Never hurl a parsnip.
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John Levin @anterotesis.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Also worth noting for the ‘everything is online’ crowd that the numbers of archives being destroyed means that an increasing proportion cannot ever be online.
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Simon Stern @simon8.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Performing Law is now published online, Open Access, extant virtually, as vibrant and vivid as a ventriloquist in a vivarium : www.cambridge.org/core/books/p... @juliestonepeters.bsky.social
cambridge.org
Performing Law
Cambridge Core - Jurisprudence - Performing Law
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Sweary Prof @swearyprof.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Some of the most beautiful hand-drawn diagrams i've ever seen. Turkish "Justice Gazette", 1920, artist: Cerîde-i Adliyye. Source [substack] casualarchivist.substack.com/p/poetic-jus... #türkiye #infographics #stunning
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The Statutes Project @statutes.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
A very quick bit of research, using this table statutes.org.uk/site/collect... to see how much material from the Interregnum (1649-1660) is in the English Reports. Answer: not a lot, seemingly just vol. 82, King's Bench 11, has reports from that time.
statutes.org.uk
The English Reports
For background on the English Reports and the compiling of this bibliography, see this blog post. For a note on the updates I published in May 2021, see this post. The English Reports are not to be…
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John Levin @anterotesis.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Request for help checking website functionality! On my Alsatia site, using Wordpress, I've just published two PDFs (of 1811 debtor relief acts): alsatia.org.uk/site/statute... alsatia.org.uk/site/statute... Do they work for whatever hardware & software you're using? Thanks!
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Good Law Project @goodlawproject.org · 19/02/2026
“‘Aaronson v Channel 4’ sounds real, but it’s completely made up, Koutsogiannis v Random House is a real case, but Kamal’s summary was totally wrong. And the citation number he used to refer to another real case, Riley v Murray, was a reference to an entirely different one” bit.ly/3OqPjII
goodlaw.social
Fake law: Barrister suing Dan Neidle relied on cases from ChatGPT
Demand for £8m supported by fake legal cases generated with AI tools – but that’s not the worst part of this shocking lawsuit
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Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
CFP: Race, Law and Empire
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