Correspondence with Enemies Act 1691
Correspondence with Enemies Acts: Easy Summary
- What it was: A set of English laws aimed at stopping people from writing to or communicating with monarchs who had lost the throne or their heirs who claimed it, by making such correspondence treason.
- 1691 — Correspondence with Enemies Act: Made it high treason to correspond with James II, the deposed king (England and Wales). It received royal assent in 1692 and was later repealed in 1867.
- 1697 — Correspondence with the Pretender Act: Replaced or updated the 1691 law to cover the Pretender who claimed the throne after James II.
- 1701 — Correspondence with James the Pretender (High Treason) Act: After James II died, this act made it treason to correspond with his son, the Pretender.
- 1704 — Correspondence with Enemies Act: Extended treason to include correspondence with the Pretender’s son.
- 1743 — Treason Act: Broadened the rule to include correspondence with the Pretender’s descendants (his son’s sons).
- Repeal: All of these acts were repealed in 1867 by the Statute Law Revision Act and are no longer in force.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 09:04 (CET).