c. 71) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that consolidated for England and Wales enactments relating to coroners and repealed statutes from 1275 to 1882 which had ceased to be in force or had become necessary.

[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."

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Wood to expurgate the statute book of all acts which, though not expressly repealed, were not in force, working backwards from the present time.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] During debate, the bill was criticised for appearing late in the session, and for containing no provision for the fining of Coroners for neglect of duty.