c. 84) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that abolished the punishment of the death penalty for all offences of forgery, substituting it for transportation or imprisonment.

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 c. 34) was passed, which consolidated provisions in the law relating to the counterfeiting and clipping of coins, repealed for the United Kingdom almost 50 statutes relating to the criminal law, and abolished the punishment of the death penalty for coinage offences.

4. c. 123) was passed, which abolished the punishment of the death penalty for all offences of forgery, except for forging wills and certain powers of attorney.

[7] The bill had its first reading in the House of Commons on 10 April 1837,[7][8] introduced by Lord John Russell MP as part of a wider package of acts to reduce the severity of punishment in the criminal justice system.

[10] During debate, Sir Robert Peel expressed concerns about the preparedness of the House to discuss the measures, and the effectiveness of secondary punishments including transpiration and imprisonment.

[7] The report was considered on 27 June 1837,[11] and the amended bill had its third reading in the House of Commons on 1 July 1837.

84—91), which reduced the severity of punishments in the criminal justice system and abolished the death penalty for several offences:[18] At the start of the parliamentary session in 1853, Lord Cranworth announced his intention to the improvement of the statute law and in March 1853, appointed the Board for the Revision of the Statute Law to repeal expired statutes and continue consolidation, with a wider remit that included civil law.

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Wood to expurgate the statute book of all acts which, though not expressly repealed, were not in force, working backwards from the present time.

c. 95), specifically:[20] "So much of Sections One and Two as relates to the forging, altering, offering, uttering, disposing of, or putting off any Will, Testament, Codicil, or Testamentary Writing, or any Power of Attorney, or other Authority therein mentioned, and to Principals in the Second Degree and Accessories before the Fact in such Offences, and so much of Sections Two and Three as relates to the Punishment of any Offence created by or formerly punishable under any Enactment in this Schedule.