4. c. 27) or the Criminal Statutes (England) Repeal Act 1827 was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that repealed for England and Wales enactments relating to the English criminal law from 1225 to 1826.

In the United Kingdom, acts of Parliament remain in force until expressly repealed.

[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] From 1810 to 1825, The Statutes of the Realm was published, providing for the first time the authoritative collection of acts.

[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."

[4] The Select Committee reported on 2 April 1824, resolving to consolidate the criminal law under several heads and to bring in Bills to do so.

This included efforts to modernise, consolidate and repeal provisions from a large number of earlier statutes, including:[6] On 17 April 1826, In the Committee of the Whole House of the House of Commons for the Criminal Law Act 1826 (7 Geo.

4 c. 64), the home secretary, Sir Robert Peel MP, indicated to the House his intention to bring forward bills in the next session for the consolidation of criminal statutes.

[7] Leave to bring in the Criminal Laws Consolidation Bills was given in the House of Commons on 22 February 1827,[8] and the bill was brought in by the home secretary, Sir Robert Peel MP, the attorney general, Charles Wetherell MP, and the solicitor general, Sir Nicholas Conyngham Tindal MP.

[9] In his speech introducing the bill, Sir Robert Peel MP stated that the four consolidation Bills aimed simplifying and consolidating criminal laws in England, including: Peel's stated that overall aim was to simplify and modernize the criminal law, reducing the number of capital offenses and making the law more coherent and intelligible.

[10] In the debate, Sir John Newport, 1st Baronet MP expressed his surprise that the bills did not extend to Ireland and was reassured that such Bills (to become the Criminal Statutes (Ireland) Repeal Act 1828) were in preparation.

Following Peel's resignation as home secretary, Peel continued to superintend the passage of the bills through Parliament,[11] The Committee stage for the bill was deferred several times and the Committee reported on 1 June 1827, with amendments.

[6] Section 2 of the act stated that the extent of any repeals did not stretch to the Post Office, the South Sea Company, the Bank of England, "any Branch of the Public Revenue", navy and army stores and other royal "Public Stores", with the exception of:[6] c. 10 Benefit of clergy Trespassers in parks and ponds Fresh Suit shall be made after Felons and Robbers from Town to Town, &c. Inquiry of Felons and Robbers, and the County shall answer if they be not taken This Act shall be respited until Easter next Benefit of clergy Benefit of clergy I.e., section 3.