Inquests of Murder Act 1275

STATUTUM WEST' PRIMUM. The Statute of WESTMINSTER, the First, Made at Westminster 25 die Aprilis, Anno 3 EDWARDI I. and Anno Dom. 1275.

Inquests of Murder Act 1275

1275 (3 Edw. 1) C A P. XI.

THESE be the Acts of King EDWARD, Son to King HENRY, made at Westminster at his first Parliament general after his Coronation, on the Mondayof Easter Utas, the third Year of his Reign, by his Council, and the Assent of Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots, Priors, Earls, Barons, and all the Commonalty of the Realm being thither summoned, because our Lord the King had great Zeal and Desire to redress the State of the Realm in such Things as required Amendment, for the common Profit of holy Church, and of the Realm: And because the State of the holy Church had been evil kept, and the Prelates and religious Persons of the Land grieved many ways, and the People otherwise intreated than they ought to be, and the Peace less kept, and the Laws less used, and the Offenders less punished than they ought to be, by reason where of the People of the Land feared the less to offend; the King hath ordained and established these Acts underwritten, which he intendeth to be necessary and profitable unto the whole Realm.

Replevin by the Writ of Odio & Atia. Who shall be Triers of Murther.

''5 H. 7. f. 5. Regist. 133. 2 Inst. 177. 9 H. 3. stat. 1. cap. 26. Altered by 6. Ed. 1. stat. 1. c. 9. which orders the Commitment of such Offenders till the coming of the Justices, &c. And farther by 28 Ed. 3. c. 9. which ordains that no Writ shall be directed to a Sheriff to charge an Inquest to indict any.'' AND forasmuch as many being indicted of Murther, and culpable of the same, by favourable Inquests taken by the Sheriff, and by the King's Writ of Odio & Atia, be replevied unto the coming of the Justices in Eyre; it is provided, That from henceforth such Inquest shall be taken by lawful Men chosen out by Oath (of whom two at the least shall be Knights) which by no Affinity with the Prisoners, nor otherwise, are to be suspected.

Note : this act is listed in the Chronological Table of Statutes as the Inquests of Murder Act, 1275