This act is partly still in force in Great Britain (as of 2018[update]).

[2] Before the act was passed, treason in Scotland consisted of "theft in landed men, murder under trust, wilful fire-raising, firing coalheughs, and assassination."

Section 1 of the Act abolished these offences and replaced them with the English definition of high treason.

The act also applied the English offence of misprision of treason to Scotland.

[7] The act originally had eleven sections, which were later renumbered one to fourteen.