Indecency and Vagrancy Acts

Historical Context Note

Litencyc Editors (Independent Scholar - Europe)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.06: English Writing and Culture of the Romantic Period, 1789-1837.
Vol. editors: Daniel Cook (University of Dundee), Daniel Robinson (Widener University)

Domains

Legislation (Bills, Acts, Laws ...)

Dates

Date of occurrence 1822

Places

United Kingdom (Location)

Resources

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An Act of Parliament passed by the reactionary post-Napoleonic War government of Lord Liverpool in 1822, the Vagrancy Act was unprecedented in including 'indecent exposure' as a form of vagrancy, to be punished accordingly. This led to several cases of courting couples and other individuals being arrested and sentenced to up to one month in prison for the crime, and triggered a wave of outrage at the repressive policy. When a modified Vagrancy Act was passed two years later, its terms were modified to tone down the severity of this section.

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90 words

Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Indecency and Vagrancy Acts". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 30 August 2013 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=4586, accessed 06 May 2024.]

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