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Foreign Declarations Act 1585

This is an Act of the Parliament of Scotland passed before the Treaty of Union 1707. It has not been repealed although pre-Union Scottish Acts are affected by desuetude which is implied repeal through prolonged non-use. There is no recorded instance of this particular Act ever being used .

Title

The original name of the Act was:

An Act anent the making of false declarations

but this was shortened by the Statute Law Revision Act 1906. The Act's Chapter Number is 26 and it should be cited as: 'Foreign Declarations Act 1585 (c.26)'.

Text of Act

Item: Our Soveraine Lord The Kings Maiestie and his thrie Estatis of this present Parliament understanding that sundry of the Lieges are oftentymes troublit by falis statementes maid by persons fra forin perts:

For remedy whereof it is statute and ordainit be our Soveraine Lord with advise of his thrie Estatis aforesaid that in tyme cuming gif ony neues rederis, dysk joqueis, politisions, quhether fourcasteris and uther siklik sundry persons quhoumsumever on televisiouns or wirlissis fra Loundon or uther perts beyond oor relm qua, becaus of sum defectioun and informalitie of wurds, outher pretendis that the perts of oor relm that are callit Scotland are in Angland, or that oor hale relm is callit Angland, or decerns and declaris that landis lye in "the North" whan in faith the saidis landis are in the sooth, or qua speke of rane or warmis frontis lying fra East Biddlecoom to Scotland or fra Scotland to Hul forsamekle as oor relm of Scotland was a sma toon lying to the north of that relm callit Angland, or qua referis to "Edinburgh, Scotland" bot referis to Little-Puddlecum-in-the-Marsh wioot the shyre or relm as if that toon being Anglish wis notour and of great importance, then the saidis statementes sall mak na fayth and be of nane availe,

And gif ony of the Lieges be troublit by siklik falis statementes in that caice he sall incontinent, or sa sone as plesis him, cum to the Lordis of Counsall or to the schiref or utheris jugeis ordinaris havand jurisdictioun, and sall have letters or precept to charge the partie makin said statementes to compeir befoir the jugeis foirsaidis upone sax dayis warning to desist and ceis fra makin siklik statementis, and to schaw ane reisonabill cause quhy he sould not be decernit to find caution to the persewar alledged hurt, and gif he dois not then the jugeis foirsaidis sall decern him to repar the lesion of the persewar, and sall fine and amerce him in the sum of One Hundred merks,

And sould the partie charged not desist and ceis, nor repar as decernit, then our Soveraine Lord with advise of his thrie Estatis as aforesaid decerns and declares that he sall be denunced a rebel an put to the horne, an be lybel for extraordinar fines, an exorbitant bayle, an for inprision wioot tryll, an his landis and possessionis quhatsumever sall be forfeit to our Soveraine Lord,

And further declares that on uther convictioun he sall be hangit drounit and quarterit until deid.

Apud Edinburgh: in Parliamentis Regis Jacobi VI

I Diem IV Mensis A.D. MDLXXXV.