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BAILII: United Kingdom Legislation

BAILII (the British and Irish Legal Information Institute) provides the most comprehensive set of British and Irish primary legal materials freely available online. Its United Kingdom Legislation section includes statutes made by successive parliaments from 1267 onwards: of England 1267-1706, Great Britain 1707-1800, and the United Kingdom 1801 to date. Statutes of the pre-union parliaments of Scotland 1424-1707 and of Ireland 1495-1800 are also included. All statutes from 1988 onwards are unconsolidated. Earlier statutes are either as enacted or have been updated to 2001: links are provided wherever appropriate to “the UK Statute Law Database” (ie Legislation.gov.uk) for information on further updates. Other legislation databases within BAILII include UK Statutory Instruments 1947 onwards (as promulgated, and 1947 to 1986 selective only) and legislation of Northern Ireland 1972 onwards, Scotland 1999 onwards, and Wales 1999 onwards. For fuller information on those last three, see specific entries elsewhere in the appropriate sections of AccessToLaw.

Bills & Legislation

This section of the UK Parliament site contains the full text of all Public, Private, Draft and Hybrid Bills currently before Parliament, together with Explanatory Notes, proposed amendments, and links to debates and any other related documents. Public Bills are also availabe for previous sessions back to 2002-03 and Private Bills back to 2001-02.

Coronavirus Legislation

This page on the Legislation.gov.uk site provides a single point of reference for legislation relating to the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Besides the relevant primary legislation there are browsable links to secondary legislation with the word “coronavirus” in the title, and to legislation originating from the EU with “coronavirus” in the title. There are also lists of legislation that has been changed by the Coronavirus Act 2020, by the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, and by all legislation with “coronavirus” in the title. Additional information includes brief guidance on understanding coronavirus legislation.

Immigration Rules

The Immigration Rules as currently in force are accessible here on the GOV.UK web site, together with archived consolidated versions back to 2012, and individual Statements of Changes back to 1994.

Legislation.gov.uk

This site brings together in one location the original (as enacted) and revised versions of UK legislation, including that of the devolved administrations, which were previously available on the decommissioned OPSI and Statute Law Database sites. Over 95% of the Acts on legislation.gov.uk are fully up to date. The “changes to legislation” message indicates if there are any outstanding effects. Revised versions of some secondary legislation is also held on legislation.gov.uk

The original text as enacted may be accessed under “What Version” on the left of the screen. A complete breakdown of all types of legislation with coverage dates of each is to be found under the “Browse Legislation” tab. There is also a “New Legislation” section to which newly enacted legislation is added within 24 hours of its publication in printed form, a set of FAQs providing detailed information on site content and features, and both basic and advanced search facilities.

Legislation.gov.uk: Church Measures

This page of the UK’s official legislation database provides access to Measures of the General Synod of the Church of England and of its predecessor the National Assembly of the Church of England (complete 1988 onwards, partial 1920-1987). Some Measures are available as revised, with an option to access the original text as enacted under “What Version” on the left of the screen. Church Instruments 1991 onwards are available elsewhere on the site via the “Browse Legislation” tab.

Legislation.gov.uk: Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland legislation on the UK’s official legislation database includes Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly 2000 onwards, Acts of the Old Irish Parliament 1495-1800 (partial coverage), Northern Ireland Statutory Rules 1996 onwards (with partial coverage 1991-1995), Northern Ireland Orders in Council 1972 onwards (partial coverage 1972-1986; full coverage 1987 onwards), Northern Ireland Assembly Measures 1974, and Acts of the Northern Ireland Parliament 1921-1972 (partial coverage). Primary legislation is reproduced as revised, with an option in the case of recent legislation to select the original “as enacted” text under “What Version” on the left of the screen. Secondary legislation is not revised. Explanatory Memoranda to Orders in Council and Statutory Rules are included if published.

Legislation.gov.uk: Scotland

Scottish legislation on the UK’s official legislation database includes Acts of the Scottish Parliament (ASPs) and Scottish Statutory Instruments (SSIs), both 1999 onwards. ASPs are reproduced as revised, with an option to select the original “as enacted” text under “What Version” on the left of the screen. SSIs are as originally made. Explanatory Notes to ASPs (introduced in 1999) and Executive Notes to SSIs (July 2005 onwards) are included if published. Also available are the Acts of the Old Scottish Parliament 1424-1707 as revised. The content for this is not complete.

Legislation.gov.uk: UK

United Kingdom legislation on the UK’s official legislation database includes Public General Acts (complete 1988 onwards, partial 1801-1987), Local Acts (complete 1991 onwards, partial 1857-1990), and Statutory Instruments (complete 1987 onwards, partial 1948-1986). Other content accessible from this page includes Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain (partial 1707-1800), Acts of the English Parliament (partial 1267-1706), Church of England Measures and Church Instruments. Over 95% of the Acts on legislation.gov.uk are fully up to date. The “changes to legislation” message indicates if there are any outstanding effects. The original text as enacted may be accessed under “What Version” on the left of the screen. Some secondary legislation is revised. Explanatory Memoranda to Acts (introduced from 1999) and SIs (from 2004) are included if published.

Legislation.gov.uk: Wales

Welsh legislation on the UK’s official legislation database includes: Acts of the National Assembly for Wales 2012 onwards, Measures of the National Assembly for Wales 2008-2011 and Wales Statutory Instruments 1999 onwards. Measures are reproduced as revised, with an option to select the original “as enacted” text under “What Version” on the left of the screen. Wales SIs are not revised. Explanatory Notes to Measures and Acts are included if published.

Lexis Library: Legislation

Subscription service, providing access to the content previously available from Halsbury’s Laws Direct, Legislation Direct and LexisNexis Professional. Coverage includes: an electronic version of Halsbury’s Laws of England; full and amended text of all UK Statutes and SIs that are in force; Scottish Acts and SIs; Measures and Acts of the Welsh Assembly; Church of England Measures; Is It In Force?; and access to legislation and case law from the EU and from several Commonwealth jurisdictions, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Lloyd’s Acts and Byelaws

The full text of all Lloyd’s Acts and Byelaws currently in force is available on this site. In the “Requirements made under Byelaws” section other content includes Lloyd’s Underwriting Requirements currently in force by category.

Local Government: Byelaws

This section of the GOV.UK web site contains information on byelaws provided by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Ministry of Defence. There is guidance for councils on making, amending and revoking byelaws; a set of model byelaws which councils may adapt for their own needs; and information on how members of the public may view or obtain copies of local byelaws.

Ministry of Defence: Byelaws Review

The Byelaws Review team is carrying out a far reaching overview and update of byelaws as they relate to all MOD sites in the UK. This section of the GOV.UK site provides a collection of byelaws regulating the use of land being used for military purposes. These can be viewed by selecting byelaws by region. The site covers the whole of the UK and includes (as well as current byelaws) lapsed, revoked and proposed new byelaws.

Office of the Leader of the House of Commons

The Leader of the House of Commons is the Cabinet minister responsible for arranging government business, including the introduction of government Bills, in the House of Commons. Information here on the GOV.UK web site includes the Business Statements, made each Thursday when the House is sitting and announcing the business for the following week and provisional business for the subsequent week.

Official Documents

This site, formerly administered by the Stationery Office (TSO) and now archived by the National Archives, covers all Command Papers and departmentally sponsored House of Commons Papers (HCPs) from 17 May 2005 (the beginning of the 2005/06 parliamentary session) to January 2014. Texts are provided in PDF format. There is also a selection of earlier Command Papers, HCPs and other key government papers going back to 1951/52. Command Papers in particular are often important as providing the background to particular pieces of legislation, including as they do statements of government policy which are familiarly known as “White Papers”. (Note: the primary online source for new Command Papers is now the GOV.UK site, with coverage there from January 1993 onwards.)

vLex Justis: Legislation

Subscription service. The UK Legislation databases in JustisOne provide full text of UK Statutes and SIs as enacted, with links to amended and amending legislation. Statutes coverage is from 1235 to the present, and includes all repealed Acts. Also included are Acts of the Scottish Parliament 1999 onwards, Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly 2000 onwards and Measures and Acts of the Welsh Assembly 1999 onwards. Coverage of subsidiary legislation begins with the legislation published in Statutory Rules & Orders and Statutory Instruments Revised to December 31, 1948, which was published by HMSO in 1950 and includes regulations dating back as far as 1671. Scottish and Welsh SIs are also included 1999 onwards. Statutes are updated on an ongoing basis, SIs once or twice a week.

Westlaw UK: Legislation

Subscription service, updated daily. Westlaw UK contains legislation dating back to 1267 including: all UK Public General Acts which were still in force in 1991 (fully consolidated), and all published subsequently; all Acts of the Scottish Parliament (ASPs); all Local Acts published since 1991; all Church of England Measures published since 1991; all Welsh Assembly Measures and Acts from 2008; and all Northern Ireland legislation from 1991. Subsidiary legislation includes: a selection of UK SIs of general application published between 1948 and 1991 and all subsequent UK (Westminster) SIs; SIs made by the Scottish Parliament (SSIs); English-language SIs made by the National Assembly for Wales; and Statutory Rules (SRs) made by the Northern Ireland Assembly.