Felony and Piracy Act 1772

AN ACT for the more effectual proceeding against Persons standing mute on their Arraignment for Felony or Piracy.

FOR the more effectual proceeding against persons standing mute on their arraignment for felony or piracy, 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 from and after the passing of this Act, being arraigned on any indictment or appeal for felony, or on any indictment for piracy, shall, upon such arraignment, stand mute, or will not answer directly to the felony or piracy, such person so standing mute as aforesaid shall be convicted of the felony or piracy charged in such indictment or appeal; and the court before whom he shall be so arraigned shall therefore award judgement and execution against such person, in the same manner as if such person had been convicted by verdict or confession of the felony or piracy charged in such indictment or appeal; and such judgement shall have all the same consequences in every respect as if such person had been convicted by verdict or confession of such felony or piracy and judgement had been thereupon awarded.

AND... the provision of this Act shall extend to his Majesty's colonies and plantations in America.