The act was intended, in particular, to facilitate the preparation of the revised edition of the statutes, then in progress.

[1] In 1806, the Commission on Public Records passed a resolution requesting the production of a report on the best mode of reducing the volume of the statute book.

[2] In 1816, both Houses of Parliament, passed resolutions that an eminent lawyer with 20 clerks be commissioned to make a digest of the statutes, which was declared "very expedient to be done."

[2] The Board issued three reports, recommending the creation of a permanent body for statute law reform.

An alternative approach, focusing on expunging obsolete laws from the statute book, followed by consolidation, was proposed by Peter Locke King MP, who was heavily critical of the expenditure of the Commission and the lack of results.

Wood to expurgate the statute book of all acts which, though not expressly repealed, were not in force, working backwards from the present time.

[7] The act was intended, in particular, to facilitate the preparation of the revised edition of the statutes, then in progress,[9] as well as the Consolidated "Rules of the Supreme Court, 1883".

[10] Several enactments mentioned in Part II of the schedule were repealed by the Statute Law Revision and Civil Procedure Act 1881 (44 & 45 Vict.

The enactments mentioned in Part II of the schedule were repealed by section 4 of the Statute Law Revision and Civil Procedure Act 1883 (46 & 47 Vict.

The section further provided that the repeal would not extend to any part of Her Majesty's dominions outside the United Kingdom, and would only operate in respect of the Supreme Court of Judicature in England.

Additionally, the act would not revive or restore any jurisdiction, office, duty, fee, payment, franchise, liberty, custom, right, title, privilege, restriction, exemption, usage, practice, procedure, or other matter not existing at the time of passing.