# Royal Commission on Revising and Consolidating the Criminal Law

> Royal Commission for criminal law reform (1845–1849)

**Wikidata**: [Q130372755](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q130372755)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Commission_on_Revising_and_Consolidating_the_Criminal_Law_(1845–1849))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/royal-commission-on-revising-and-consolidating-the-criminal-law

## Summary

The Royal Commission on Revising and Consolidating the Criminal Law (1845–1849) was a British government agency established to undertake criminal law reform. Operating during the mid-nineteenth century, this Royal Commission was specifically tasked with revising and consolidating the criminal law across a four-year period.

## Key Facts

- **Classification**: Government agency — an organisational part of a government responsible for specific public services
- **Active Period**: 1845–1849
- **Primary Function**: Criminal law reform, specifically revising and consolidating criminal law
- **Wikidata Description**: "Royal Commission for criminal law reform (1845–1849)"
- **Wikipedia Title**: "Royal Commission on Revising and Consolidating the Criminal Law (1845–1849)"
- **Wikipedia Language Availability**: English only
- **Sitelink Count**: 1
- **Broader Category**: Government agency (class with 47 sitelink connections)

## FAQs

**What was the Royal Commission on Revising and Consolidating the Criminal Law?**
It was a British government agency that operated from 1845 to 1849 with the specific mandate of reforming, revising, and consolidating the criminal law in the United Kingdom.

**What type of organization was it?**
The Commission was classified as a government agency — an organizational unit within government responsible for overseeing specific public services, in this case pertaining to the judiciary and criminal law.

**How long did the Commission operate?**
The Royal Commission was active for a four-year period, from 1845 to 1849.

## Why It Matters

The Royal Commission on Revising and Consolidating the Criminal Law represents a significant historical effort to bring systematic reform to British criminal law during the Victorian era. Mid-nineteenth century Britain was a period of substantial legal and social change, and criminal law reform was a critical component of modernizing the legal system. Commissions of this nature served as formal mechanisms through which the government could review, assess, and propose structural changes to complex bodies of law. The work of such commissions often laid the groundwork for subsequent legislation and legal standardization that would shape the justice system for generations.

## Notable For

- Focused specifically on both "revising" and "consolidating" criminal law — a dual mandate that addressed both reform and systematization
- Operated during a pivotal period of Victorian-era legal reform (1845–1849)
- One of the specialized Royal Commissions dedicated exclusively to criminal law during the nineteenth century

## Body

### Overview and Purpose

The Royal Commission on Revising and Consolidating the Criminal Law was a government agency active from 1845 to 1849. As its full title indicates, the Commission held a dual mandate: to **revise** existing criminal law (suggesting substantive review and potential reform of legal provisions) and to **consolidate** criminal law (bringing together disparate legal provisions into a more coherent and organized body of law).

### Classification and Structure

The Commission is classified as a **government agency**, defined as an organisational part of a government responsible for specific public services. In this instance, the agency's responsibility fell within the judiciary domain, specifically addressing criminal law. The broader "government agency" class has significant representation across knowledge bases, with 47 sitelink connections, indicating it is a well-established category for such entities.

### Historical Context

Operating during the mid-nineteenth century, the Commission was part of a broader movement in British legal reform. The 1840s were a period of considerable legislative activity and legal modernization in Britain. Royal Commissions served as formal investigatory and advisory bodies established by the Crown, typically empowered to examine specific areas of public concern and recommend changes.

### Documentation and Sources

The Commission is documented in English-language Wikipedia with the title "Royal Commission on Revising and Consolidating the Criminal Law (1845–1849)." It has a sitelink count of 1 and is available exclusively in English, suggesting that detailed documentation of this specific Commission is primarily found within English-language historical and legal sources. Its Wikidata entry provides the concise description: "Royal Commission for criminal law reform (1845–1849)."