http://www.wordnik.com/lists/legislationie-the-habeas-corpus-act-1679.xml An act for the better <a href="/words/securing the liberty of the subject">securing the liberty of the subject</a>, and for prevention of imprisonments <a href="/words/beyond the seas">beyond the seas</a>. <br /> <br /> WHEREAS great delays have been used by <a href="/words/sheriff">sheriff</a>s, <a href="/words/gaoler">gaoler</a>s and other <a href="/words/officer">officer</a>s, to whose <a href="/words/custody">custody</a>, any of the King’s subjects have been committed for <a href="/words/criminal">criminal</a> or supposed criminal matters, in making returns of <a href="/words/writs of habeas corpus">writs of habeas corpus</a> to them directed, by standing out an <a href="/words/alias">alias</a> and <a href="/words/pluries habeas corpus">pluries habeas corpus</a>, and sometimes more, and by other <a href="/words/shift">shift</a>s to avoid their <a href="/words/yielding">yielding</a> <a href="/words/obedience">obedience</a> to such writs, <a href="/words/contrary">contrary</a> to their <a href="/words/duty">duty</a> and the known <a href="/words/laws of the land">laws of the land</a>, whereby many of the King’s <a href="/words/subjects">subjects</a> have been and <a href="/words/hereafter">hereafter</a> may be long <a href="/words/detained">detained</a> in prison, in such cases where by law they are <a href="/words/bailable">bailable</a>, to their great <a href="/words/charge">charge</a>s and <a href="/words/vexation">vexation</a>. <br /> <br />II. <br /> For the <a href="/words/prevention">prevention</a> <a href="/words/whereof">whereof</a>, and the more <a href="/words/speedy relief">speedy relief</a> of all persons <a href="/words/imprisoned">imprisoned</a> for any such criminal or supposed criminal matters; (2) <a href="/words/be it enacted">be it enacted</a> by [the King’s most excellent majesty], <a href="/words/by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal">by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal</a>, and commons, in this present <a href="/words/parliament">parliament</a> assembled, and by the <a href="/words/authority">authority</a> thereof. That <a href="/words/whensoever">whensoever</a> any person or persons shall bring any habeas corpus directed unto any sheriff or sheriffs, gaoler, <a href="/words/minister">minister</a> or other person <a href="/words/whatsoever">whatsoever</a>, for any person in his or their custody, and the said writ shall be <a href="/words/served">served</a> upon the said officer, or left at the <a href="/words/gaol">gaol</a> or <a href="/words/priso">priso</a>n with any of the <a href="/words/under-officer">under-officer</a>s, <a href="/words/under-keeper">under-keeper</a>s or <a href="/words/deputy">deputy</a> of the said officers or keepers, that the said officer or officers, his or her under-officers, under-keepers or deputies, shall within three days after the service thereof as <a href="/words/aforesaid">aforesaid</a> (unless the commitment aforesaid were for <a href="/words/treason">treason</a> or <a href="/words/felony">felony</a>, plainly and specially expressed in the <a href="/words/warrant">warrant</a> of commitment) upon payment or <a href="/words/tender">tender</a> of the charges of bringing the said prisoner, to be <a href="/words/ascertained">ascertained</a> by the <a href="/words/judge">judge</a> or <a href="/words/court">court</a> that <a href="/words/awarded">awarded</a> the same, and <a href="/words/endorsed">endorsed</a> upon the said writ, not <a href="/words/exceeding">exceeding</a> twelve <a href="/words/pence">pence</a> per mile, and upon <a href="/words/security">security</a> given by his own <a href="/words/bond">bond</a> to pay the charges of carrying back the prisoner, if he shall be <a href="/words/remanded">remanded</a> by the court or judge to which he shall be brought <a href="/words/according">according</a> to the <a href="/words/true intent">true intent</a> of this present act, and that he will not make any <a href="/words/escape">escape</a> by the way, make return of such writ; (3) and bring or <a href="/words/cause to be">cause to be</a> brought the body of the <a href="/words/party">party</a> so committed or <a href="/words/restrained">restrained</a>, unto or before the <a href="/words/lord chancellor">lord chancellor</a>, or <a href="/words/lord keeper of the great seal">lord keeper of the great seal</a> of England for the time being, or the judges or <a href="/words/baron">baron</a>s of the said court from which the said writ <a href="/words/shall issue">shall issue</a>, or <a href="/words/unto">unto</a> and before such other person or persons before whom the said writ is made <a href="/words/returnable">returnable</a>, according to the command thereof; (4) and shall then <a href="/words/likewise">likewise</a> <a href="/words/certify">certify</a> the true causes of his <a href="/words/detainer">detainer</a> or imprisonment, unless the commitment of the said party be in any place beyond the distance of twenty miles from the place or places where such court or person is or shall be <a href="/words/residing">residing</a>; and <a href="/words/if beyond the distance of">if beyond the distance of</a> twenty miles, and <a href="/words/not above">not above</a> one hundred miles, then <a href="/words/within the space of">within the space of</a> ten days, and if beyond the distance of one hundred miles, then within the space of twenty days, after such delivery aforesaid, and <a href="/words/not longer">not longer</a>. <br /> <br />III. <br /> And to the <a href="/words/intent">intent</a> that no sheriff, gaoler or other officer may <a href="/words/pretend ignorance">pretend ignorance</a> of <a href="/words/the import of">the import of</a> such writ. (2) be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all such writs shall be marked in this manner, <a href="/words/Per statutum tricesimo primo Caroli secundi Regis">Per statutum tricesimo primo Caroli secundi Regis</a>, and shall be signed by the person that awards the same; (3) and if any person or persons shall be or <a href="/words/stand committed">stand committed</a> or detained as aforesaid, for any crime, unless for felony or treason plainly expressed in the warrant of commitment, in the <a href="/words/vacation-time">vacation-time</a>, and <a href="/words/out of term">out of term</a>, it shall and may be <a href="/words/lawful">lawful</a> to and for the person or persons so committed or detained (other than <a href="/words/persons convict">persons convict</a> or in <a href="/words/execution">execution</a> of <a href="/words/legal process">legal process</a>) or any one on his or their <a href="/words/behalf">behalf</a>, to <a href="/words/appeal">appeal</a> or <a href="/words/complain">complain</a> to the lord chancellor or lord keeper, or any one of his Majesty’s <a href="/words/justices">justices</a>, either of the one <a href="/words/bench">bench</a> or of the other, or the <a href="/words/barons of the exchequer">barons of the exchequer</a> of <a href="/words/the degree of the coif">the degree of the coif</a>; (4) and the said lord chancellor, lord keeper, justices or barons or any of them, upon view of the copy or copies of the warrant or <a href="/words/warrants of commitment and detainer">warrants of commitment and detainer</a>, or <a href="/words/otherwise">otherwise</a> upon <a href="/words/oath">oath</a> made that such copy or copies were <a href="/words/denied">denied</a> to be given by such person or persons in whose custody the prisoner or prisoners is or are detained, are hereby <a href="/words/authorized">authorized</a> and <a href="/words/required">required</a>, <a href="/words/upon request">upon request</a> made <a href="/words/in writing">in writing</a> by such person or persons, or any on his, her, or their behalf, <a href="/words/attested">attested</a> and <a href="/words/subscribed">subscribed</a> by two <a href="/words/witness">witness</a>es who were <a href="/words/present">present</a> at the delivery of the same, to award and grant an habeas corpus under the <a href="/words/seal">seal</a> of such court whereof he shall then be one of the judges, (5) to be <a href="/words/directed">directed</a> to the officer or officers in whose custody the party so committed or detained shall be, returnable immediate before the said lord chancellor or lord keeper or such justice, baron or any other justice or baron of the degree of the <a href="/words/coif">coif</a> of any of the said courts; (6) and upon service thereof as aforesaid, the officer or officers, his or their under-officer or under-officers, under-keeper or under-keepers, or their deputy in whose custody the party is so committed or detained, shall within the times <a href="/words/respectively">respectively</a> before limited, bring such prisoner or prisoners before the said lord chancellor or lord keeper, or such justices, barons or one of them, before whom the said writ is made returnable, and in case of his <a href="/words/absence">absence</a> before any other of them, with the return of such writ, and the true causes of the commitment and detainer; and thereupon within two days after the party shall be brought before them, the said lord chancellor or lord keeper, or such justice or baron before whom the prisoner shall be brought as aforesaid, shall discharge the said prisoner from his imprisonment, taking his or their <a href="/words/recognizance">recognizance</a>, with one or more <a href="/words/surety">surety</a> or <a href="/words/sureties">sureties</a>, in any <a href="/words/sum">sum</a> according to their <a href="/words/discretion">discretion</a>s, having <a href="/words/regard">regard</a> to <a href="/words/the quality of the prisoner">the quality of the prisoner</a> and <a href="/words/nature of the offense">nature of the offense</a>, for his or their <a href="/words/appearance">appearance</a> in the court of the King’s bench the <a href="/words/term">term</a> following, or at the next <a href="/words/assizes">assizes</a>, <a href="/words/sessions">sessions</a> or general <a href="/words/gaol-delivery">gaol-delivery</a> of and for such <a href="/words/county">county</a>, <a href="/words/city">city</a> or place where the commitment was, or where the offense was committed, or in such other court where the said offense is <a href="/words/properly">properly</a> <a href="/words/cognizable">cognizable</a>, as the case shall require, and then shall <a href="/words/certify">certify</a> the said writ with the return thereof, and the said recognizance or <a href="/words/recognizances">recognizances</a> unto the said court where such appearance is to be made; (8) unless it shall appear unto the said lord chancellor or lord keeper or justice or justices, or baron or barons, that the party so committed is detained upon a legal process, <a href="/words/order">order</a> or warrant, out of some court that <a href="/words/hath">hath</a> <a href="/words/jurisdiction">jurisdiction</a> of criminal matters, or by some warrant <a href="/words/signed and sealed">signed and sealed</a> with <a href="/words/the hand and seal of">the hand and seal of</a> any of the said justices or barons, or some justice or justices <a href="/words/of the peace">of the peace</a>, for such matters or offenses for the which by the law the prisoner is not bailable. <br /> http://www.wordnik.com http://www.wordnik.com/words/securing the liberty of the subject Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:56:03 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/securing the liberty of the subject http://www.wordnik.com/words/beyond the seas Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:53 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/beyond the seas http://www.wordnik.com/words/sheriff Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:49 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/sheriff http://www.wordnik.com/words/gaoler Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:47 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/gaoler http://www.wordnik.com/words/officers Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:45 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/officers http://www.wordnik.com/words/custody Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:43 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/custody http://www.wordnik.com/words/criminal Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:40 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/criminal http://www.wordnik.com/words/writs of habeas corpus Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:37 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/writs of habeas corpus http://www.wordnik.com/words/alias Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:32 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/alias http://www.wordnik.com/words/pluries habeas corpus Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:30 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/pluries habeas corpus http://www.wordnik.com/words/shift Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:25 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/shift http://www.wordnik.com/words/yielding Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:22 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/yielding http://www.wordnik.com/words/obedience Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:20 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/obedience http://www.wordnik.com/words/contrary Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:14 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/contrary http://www.wordnik.com/words/duty Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:10 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/duty http://www.wordnik.com/words/laws of the land Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:08 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/laws of the land http://www.wordnik.com/words/subjects Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:06 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/subjects http://www.wordnik.com/words/hereafter Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:03 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/hereafter http://www.wordnik.com/words/detained Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:55:00 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/detained http://www.wordnik.com/words/bailable Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:58 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/bailable http://www.wordnik.com/words/charge Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:55 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/charge http://www.wordnik.com/words/vexation Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:53 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/vexation http://www.wordnik.com/words/prevention Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:50 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/prevention http://www.wordnik.com/words/whereof Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:48 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/whereof http://www.wordnik.com/words/speedy relief Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:44 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/speedy relief http://www.wordnik.com/words/imprisoned Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:39 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/imprisoned http://www.wordnik.com/words/be it enacted Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:36 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/be it enacted http://www.wordnik.com/words/the king's most excellent majesty Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:32 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/the king's most excellent majesty http://www.wordnik.com/words/by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:22 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal http://www.wordnik.com/words/parliament Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:11 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/parliament http://www.wordnik.com/words/authority Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:03 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/authority http://www.wordnik.com/words/whensoever Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:54:00 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/whensoever http://www.wordnik.com/words/minister Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:53:57 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/minister http://www.wordnik.com/words/whatsoever Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:53:54 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/whatsoever http://www.wordnik.com/words/served Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:53:52 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/served http://www.wordnik.com/words/gaol Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:53:49 +0000 http://www.wordnik.com/words/gaol http://www.wordnik.com/words/prison Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:53:47 +0000 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