[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."

4. c. 34) was passed, which consolidated provisions in the law relating to the counterfeiting and clipping of coins, repealed for the United Kingdom almost 50 statutes relating to the criminal law, and abolished the punishment of the death penalty for coinage offences.

In 1832, several petitions were made to Parliament of the United Kingdom to abolish the death penalty in relation to offences of forgery:[7] Leave to bring in the Forgery Punishments Bill was granted to the attorney general, Thomas Denman MP, and the solicitor general, Sir William Horne MP,[7] and the Bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 22 June 1832, introduced by Thomas Denman MP.

[19] The Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on 10 August 1832, introduced by the Lord Chancellor, Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux,[20] and was committed to a Committee of the Whole House, which met on 13 August 1832, and reported on 14 August 1832, with amendments,[19] adding exceptions at the request of Lord Wynford, allowing the death penalty in cases of forgery of wills and power of attorney.

[22] Section 2 of the act provided that this abolition did not extent to punishments for forging or altering wills and certain powers of attorney.

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

Recommendations made by the Commission were implemented by the Repeal of Obsolete Statutes Act 1856 (19 & 20 Vict.

Wood to expurgate the statute book of all acts which, though not expressly repealed, were not in force, working backwards from the present time.