Dockyards, etc. Protection Act 1772

AN ACT for the better securing and preserving his Majesty's Dock Yards, Magazines, Ships, Ammunition, and Stores.

WHEREAS the safety and preservation of his Majesty's ships of war, arsenals, magazines, dock yards, rope yards, victualling offices, military, naval, and victualling stores, and the places where such stores are kept or deposited, either within this realm or in any of the islands, countries, forts, or places thereunto belonging, is of great importance to the welfare and security of the kingdom: May it please your most excellent Majesty that it may be enacted, and be it enacted by the King's most excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, that if any person or persons shall either within this realm, or in any of the islands, countries, forts, or places thereunto belonging, wilfully and maliciously set on fire, or burn, or otherwise destroy, or cause to be set on fire, or burnt, or otherwise destroyed, or aid, procure, abet, or assist in the setting on fire, or burning, or otherwise destroying of any of his Majesty's ships or vessels of war, whether the said ships or vessels of war be on float or building, or begun to be built, in any of his Majesty's dock yards, for the use of his Majesty, or any of his Majesty's arsenals, magazines, dock yards, rope yards, victualling offices, or any of the buildings erected therein or belonging thereto; or any timber or materials there placed for building, repairing, or fitting out of ships or vessels; or any of his Majesty's military, naval, or victualling stores, or other ammunition of war or any place or places where any such military, naval, or victualling stores or other ammunition of war is, are, or shall be kept, placed, or deposited; that then the person or persons guilty of any such offence, being thereof convicted in due form of law, shall be adjudged guilty of felony, and shall suffer death as in cases of felony, without benefit of clergy.

AND... any person who shall commit any of the offences before mentioned in any place out of this realm, may be indicted and tried for the same either in any shire or county within this realm, in like manner and form as if such offence had been committed within the said shire or county, or in such island, country, or place where such offence shall have been actually committed, as his Majesty, his heirs or successors, may deem most expedient for bringing such offender to justice, any law, usage, or custom notwithstanding.