Redistribution of Seats Act 1885

Redistribution of Seats Act 1885
Act of Parliament
Long titleAn Act for the Redistribution of Seats at Parliamentary Elections, and for other Purposes.
Citation48 & 49 Vict. c. 23
Introduced byWilliam Gladstone (Commons)
Territorial extent United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent25 June 1885
Commencement25 June 1885
Repealed30 July 1948
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes
  • Norwich Voters Disfranchisement Act 1870
  • Dublin Voters Disfranchisement Act 1870
  • Norwich Voters Disfranchisement Act 1871
Amended by
Repealed byRepresentation of the People Act 1948
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c. 23) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (sometimes called the "Reform Act of 1885"). It was a piece of electoral reform legislation that redistributed the seats in the House of Commons, introducing the concept of equally populated constituencies, a concept in the broader global context termed equal apportionment, in an attempt to equalise representation across the UK. It mandated the abolition of constituencies below a certain population threshold. It was associated with, but not part of, the Representation of the People Act 1884.