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<p>The <a href="Jurisdiction" title="Jurisdiction">jurisdiction</a> of <b><a href="England_and_Wales" title="England and Wales">England and Wales</a></b> does not have a <b><a href="Criminal_Code" class="mw-redirect" title="Criminal Code">Criminal Code</a></b> though such an instrument has been often recommended and attempted. As of April 2009, the <a href="Law_Commission_(England_and_Wales)" title="Law Commission (England and Wales)">Law Commission</a> is again working on the <b>Code</b>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="History">History</h2></div>

<ul><li>1818 - Parliament petitions the <a href="George_IV_of_the_United_Kingdom" class="mw-redirect" title="George IV of the United Kingdom">Prince Regent</a> for a <a href="Law_Commission" class="mw-redirect" title="Law Commission">Law Commission</a> to consolidate English <a href="Statute_law" class="mw-redirect" title="Statute law">statute law</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li>

<li>1831 - A <a href="Royal_Commission_on_the_Criminal_Law" title="Royal Commission on the Criminal Law">Royal Commission</a> was established to enquire into the possibility of a criminal code. The commission reports in 1835 and there are seven more reports until 1845.<sup id="cite_ref-:7_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-:7-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A Criminal Law Code Bill is introduced, referred to a <a href="Select_committee_(United_Kingdom)" title="Select committee (United Kingdom)">Select committee</a> and then dropped.<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li>

<li>1879 - Another <a href="Royal_Commission" class="mw-redirect" title="Royal Commission">Royal Commission</a> under <a href="Colin_Blackburn%2C_Baron_Blackburn" title="Colin Blackburn, Baron Blackburn">Colin Blackburn, Baron Blackburn</a> recommends and drafts a code.<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li>

<li>1882 - Since 1844 there had been eight unsuccessful attempts to enact a code.<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li>

<li>1965 - The Law Commission of England and Wales is established with a remit to review the law of England and Wales:<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul>

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</style><blockquote class="templatequote"><p> ... with a view to its systematic development and reform, including in particular the codification of [the] law ... and generally the simplification and modernisation of the law.<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p></blockquote>

<p>— A Criminal Code team is set up including <a href="Academic" class="mw-redirect" title="Academic">academic</a> <a href="Lawyer" title="Lawyer">lawyer</a> Professor Sir <a href="John_Cyril_Smith" title="John Cyril Smith">John Cyril Smith</a>, the outstanding criminal lawyer of his time.<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup>

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<ul><li>1985 - Draft code published.<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li>

<li>1989 - Draft code revised and expanded.<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li>

<li>2002 - Government reiterates its intention to proceed with a code.<sup id="cite_ref-JfA_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-JfA-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></li></ul>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Arguments_for_a_Code">Arguments for a Code</h2></div>

<p><a href="Attorney_General_for_England_and_Wales" title="Attorney General for England and Wales">Attorney-General</a> Sir <a href="John_Holker" title="John Holker">John Holker</a> said:

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<blockquote class="templatequote"><p> Surely, it is a desirable thing that anybody who may want to know the law on a particular subject should be able to turn to a chapter of the Code, and there find the law he is in search of explained in a few intelligible and well-constructed sentences; nor would he have to enter upon a long examination of <i>Russell on Crimes</i>, or <i><a href="Archbold_Criminal_Pleading%2C_Evidence_and_Practice" title="Archbold Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Practice">Archbold</a></i>, and other text-books, because he would have a succinct and clear statement before him.<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p></blockquote>

<p>Sir <a href="John_Cyril_Smith" title="John Cyril Smith">John Smith</a> was, in general an opponent of legal codes but said:

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<blockquote class="templatequote"><p> The criminal law is entirely different. It is incoherent and inconsistent. State almost any general principle and you find one or more leading cases which contradict it. It is littered with distinctions which have no basis in reason but are mere historical accidents. I am in favour of codification of the criminal law because I see no other way of reducing a chaotic system to order, of eliminating irrational distinctions and of making the law reasonably comprehensible, accessible and certain. These are all practical objects. Irrational distinctions mean injustice. A is treated differently from B when there is no rational ground for treating him differently; and this is not justice.<sup id="cite_ref-bingham_2-10" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p></blockquote>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2></div>

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</style><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090416025930/http%3A//www.lawcom.gov.uk/docs/newsletter_spring_2009.pdf">"Newsletter"</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span>. Law Commission. Spring 2009. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/docs/newsletter_spring_2009.pdf">the original</a> <span class="cs1-format">(PDF)</span> on 16 April 2009<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">4 May</span> 2009</span>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-bingham-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-6"><sup><i><b>g</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-7"><sup><i><b>h</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-8"><sup><i><b>i</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-9"><sup><i><b>j</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-bingham_2-10"><sup><i><b>k</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text">Lord Bingham (1998)</span>

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<li id="cite_note-:7-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-:7_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><cite id="CITEREFFarmer2000" class="citation journal cs1">Farmer, Lindsay (2000). <span class="id-lock-subscription" title="Paid subscription required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/744300">"Reconstructing the English Codification Debate: The Criminal Law Commissioners, 1833-45"</a></span>. <i>Law and History Review</i>. <b>18</b> (2): <span class="nowrap">397–</span>425. <a href="Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.2307%2F744300">10.2307/744300</a>. <a href="ISSN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISSN (identifier)">ISSN</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0738-2480">0738-2480</a>. <a href="JSTOR_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="JSTOR (identifier)">JSTOR</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/744300">744300</a>.</cite></span>

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<li id="cite_note-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-4">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Law Commission (1989)</span>

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<li id="cite_note-JfA-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-JfA_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Home Secretary (2002) <i><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/downloads/application/pdf/CJS%20White%20Paper%20-%20Justice%20For%20All.pdf">Justice for All</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070712210011/http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/downloads/application/pdf/CJS%20White%20Paper%20-%20Justice%20For%20All.pdf">Archived</a> 2007-07-12 at the <a href="Wayback_Machine" title="Wayback Machine">Wayback Machine</a></i>, <a href="Command_paper" title="Command paper">Cm</a>.5563, <i>p.</i>17</span>

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<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Bibliography">Bibliography</h2></div>

<ul><li><cite id="CITEREFCornish,_W.Clarke,_G.1989" class="citation book cs1">Cornish, W.; Clarke, G. (1989). <i>Law and Society in England 1750-1950</i>. London: Sweet & Maxwell. pp. <span class="nowrap">598–</span>601. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>0-421-31150-9</bdi>.</cite></li>

<li><cite id="CITEREFLaw_Commission1989" class="citation book cs1">Law Commission (1989). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-law-commission-report-on-criminal-code-for-england-and-wales-april-1989"><i>Criminal Law: A Criminal Code for England and Wales. Vol. 1: Report and Draft Criminal Code Bill</i></a> (House of Commons papers 1988-89 299 ed.). London: HMSO. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>0-10-229989-7</bdi>.</cite></li>

<li><cite id="CITEREFHerring,_J.2004" class="citation book cs1">Herring, J. (2004). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/criminallawtextc0000herr/page/17"><i>Criminal Law: Text, Cases, and Materials</i></a>. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/criminallawtextc0000herr/page/17">17–19</a>. <a href="ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <bdi>0-19-876578-9</bdi>.</cite></li>

<li><a href="Lord_Bingham_of_Cornhill" class="mw-redirect" title="Lord Bingham of Cornhill">Lord Bingham of Cornhill</a>, <a href="Lord_Chief_Justice_of_England" class="mw-redirect" title="Lord Chief Justice of England">Lord Chief Justice of England</a> (1998) <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20070927120512/http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/publications_media/speeches/pre_2004/mnsion98.htm">"Speech at Dinner for HM Judges"</a>, The <a href="Mansion_House%2C_London" title="Mansion House, London">Mansion House, London</a>, 22 July</li>

<li><cite id="CITEREFSpencer,_J.2000" class="citation journal cs1">Spencer, J. (2000). "The case for a code of criminal procedure". <i>Criminal Law Review</i>: 519.</cite></li></ul>

<div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2></div>

<ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.lawcom.gov.uk/project/legislating-the-criminal-code/">Law Commission project page</a></li></ul></div><div><div class="zim-footer">

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