Benevolent Institutions - Law Commission - Ministry of Justice

Introduction
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS REPEAL PROPOSALS
1. These repeal notes propose the repeal of some 73 obsolete Acts relating to a
variety of benevolent institutions. Many of these institutions are, or were,
charitable bodies such as schools, hospitals and almshouses which were
established in the 18 th or 19 th centuries to meet the needs of the poor, sick or
elderly.
2. The Acts have become obsolete either because the institutions which they relate
to have ceased to exist or because the Acts in question no longer serve any
useful purpose, often because they have been superseded by schemes made by
the Charity Commission. The Acts span the period 1721 to 1958.
3. The proposals include the repeal of-
the Female Orphan Asylum Act 1800 (which helped to establish an
orphanage in South London)
the Hospital for Poor French Protestants Act 1808 (relating to a home
established in central London to shelter Protestant refugees from France)
the Refuge for the Destitute Act 1838 (relating to a charity established to
help women upon their discharge from prison)
the Imprisoned Debtors Discharge Society’s Act 1856 (to help imprisoned
debtors secure their early release from prison).
4. These repeal proposals apply only to Acts relating to institutions operating in
England or, in some cases, Ireland.
Comments are invited by 31 December 2010.
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