The Law Reform (Married Women and Tortfeasors) Act 1935 (25 & 26 Geo. 5. c. 30) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that amended the law relating to the capacity, property, and liabilities of married women in England and Wales.[1]
| Act of Parliament | |
.svg) | |
| Long title | An Act to amend the law relating to the capacity, property, and liabilities of married women, and the liabilities of husbands; and to amend the law relating to proceedings against, and contribution between, tort-feasors. |
|---|---|
| Citation | 25 & 26 Geo. 5. c. 30 |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales[b] |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 2 August 1935 |
| Commencement | |
| Other legislation | |
| Amends | |
| Repeals/revokes | See § Repealed enactments |
| Amended by | |
Status: Amended | |
| Text of statute as originally enacted | |
| Revised text of statute as amended | |
| Text of the Law Reform (Married Women and Tortfeasors) Act 1935 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk. | |
Provisions
editRepealed enactments
editSection 5(2) of the act repealed 14 enactments, listed in the second schedule to the act.[2]
| Citation | Short title | Description | Extent of repeal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 & 3 Anne. c. 20[e] | Queen Anne's Bounty Act 1703 | An Act the title of which begins with the words "An Act for the making more effectuall" and ends with the words "for the same purpose." | In section six the words "or women covert without their husbands." |
| 43 Geo. 3. c. 108 | Gifts for Churches Act 1803 | The Gifts for Churches Act, 1803. | In section one the words "nor women covert without their husbands." |
| 55 Geo. 3. c. 147 | Glebe Exchange Act 1815 | The Glebe Exchange Act, 1815. | In section five the words "or femes covert without their husbands"; in section twelve the words "husbands", "feme coverts", and "feme covert"; in section thirteen the word "husbands", and the words "femes covert"; and in section seventeen the words "or feme couvert," "or husband," "or she," and "or feme sole." |
| 3 & 4 Will. 4. c. 74 | Fines and Recoveries Act 1833 | The Fines and Recoveries Act, 1833. | Section twenty-four. |
| 4 & 5 Vict. c. 20 | Excise Management Act 1841 | The Excise Management Act, 1841. | In section seven the words "whose husband shall become insane or idiot or be otherwise rendered incapable of transacting his affairs or whose husband shall be separated from her and be out of the limits of the United Kingdom" and the proviso. |
| 4 & 5 Vict. c. 38 | School Sites Act 1841 | The School Sites Act, 1841. | In section five the words "and her husband". |
| 36 & 37 Vict. c. 50 | Places of Worship Sites Act 1873 | The Places of Worship Sites Act, 1873. | In section one the words "or a married woman" and the word "husband"; and in section three the words "and her husband". |
| 45 & 46 Vict. c. 75 | Married Women's Property Act 1882 | The Married Women's Property Act, 1882. | Sections one to five; in section six the word "separate" where that word first occurs; and the words "for her separate use"; in section seven the word "separate" where that word first occurs, and the words from "whether the same" to "recorded, or not"; in section eleven the words "by virtue of the power of making contracts hereinbefore contained"; in section twelve the word "separate"; in section thirteen the words "in respect and to the extent of her separate property" and the words from "and all sums recovered" to "recovered in respect thereof"; sections fourteen and fifteen; in section twenty-three the word "separate." |
| 56 & 57 Vict. c. 63 | Married Women's Property Act 1893 | The Married Women's Property Act, 1893. | Section one. |
| 7 Edw. 7. c. 18 | Married Women's Property Act 1907 | The Married Women's Property Act, 1907. | In section three the words "which is by virtue of the Married Women's Property Act, 1882, made her separate property." |
| 1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 46 | Copyright Act 1911 | The Copyright Act, 1911. | In section sixteen, in subsection (4) thereof, the word "separate." |
| 4 & 5 Geo. 5. c. 59 | Bankruptcy Act 1914 | The Bankruptcy Act, 1914. | In section fifty-two, the word "separate"; and section one hundred and twenty-five. |
| 6 & 7 Geo. 5. c. 50 | Larceny Act 1916 | The Larceny Act, 1916. | In section thirty-six, in subsection (1) thereof the word "separate." |
| 20 & 21 Geo. 5. c. 17 | Poor Law Act 1930 | The Poor Law Act, 1930. | In section fourteen, in subsection (4) thereof, the word "separate." |
Subsequent developments
editSection 6 of the act was repealed by section 9(2) of, and schedule 2 to, the Civil Liability (Contribution) Act 1978, which came into force on 1 January 1979.[3]
Notes
edit- ↑ Section 8(1).
- ↑ Section 8(2).
- ↑ The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.
- ↑ Section 7.
- ↑ This is the citation in The Statutes of the Realm.
References
edit- ↑ "Law Reform (Married Women and Tortfeasors) Act 1935". Women's Legal Landmarks. University of Kent. Retrieved 8 July 2026.
- ↑ "Law Reform (Married Women and Tortfeasors) Act 1935", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, Geo5/25-26 c. 30
- ↑ "Civil Liability (Contribution) Act 1978", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1978 c. 47
External links
edit- Text of the Law Reform (Married Women and Tortfeasors) Act 1935 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
- Text of the Law Reform (Married Women and Tortfeasors) Act 1935 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.