At the urging of the Whig politician Charles James Fox, the Act restored to juries the right to decide what was libel and whether a defendant was guilty, rather than leaving it solely to the judge.

The Act was repealed by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, Sched.23 Part 2, with effect from 12 January 2010; this abolished the criminal libel laws.

[citation needed] Edmund Burke presented a similar bill in 1791.

Charles James Fox opposed it and it was not passed.

This legislation in Great Britain article is a stub.