Riot Act
| Act of Parliament | |
| Long title | An Act for Preventing Tumults and Riotous Assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual Punishing the Rioters |
|---|---|
| Citation | 1 Geo. 1. St. 2. c. 5 |
| Territorial extent | Great Britain |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 20 July 1715 |
| Commencement | 1 August 1715 |
| Repealed | 21 July 1967 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | |
| Repealed by | Criminal Law Act 1967 |
| Relates to | Punishment of Offences Act 1837 |
Status: Repealed | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
The Riot Act (1 Geo. 1. St. 2. c. 5), sometimes called the Riot Act 1714 or the Riot Act 1715, was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain which authorised local authorities to declare any group of 12 or more people to be unlawfully assembled and order them to disperse or face punitive action. The act's full title was "An Act for preventing tumults and riotous assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishing the rioters", and it came into force on 1 August 1715. It was repealed in England and Wales by section 10(2) and Part III of Schedule 3 of the Criminal Law Act 1967. Acts similar to the Riot Act passed into the laws of British colonies in Australia and North America, some of which remain in force today.
The phrase "read the riot act" has passed into common usage for a stern reprimand or warning of consequences.