---
title: "Penal Servitude Act 1891"
id: cbff44eb-c657-48df-9fbd-1c3da70f6c8e
authority: uk
place: "United Kingdom"
applies_also_from: []
kind: statute
in_force: true
publisher_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/54-55/69
attribution: "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
solon_url: https://solon.orangecat.ch/law/cbff44eb-c657-48df-9fbd-1c3da70f6c8e
language: en
in_force_from: 1991-02-01
date_basis: publisher
status: consolidated
source_url: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/54-55/69/data.xml
read_on: 2026-11-09
sha256: 669f4608434d4c7c7c4c3ac13a929061f79305020ae9b38d073b8e6fb3f7df36
provisions: 8
---

# Penal Servitude Act 1891

## Title and introductory text {#prelims}

Penal Servitude Act 1891
1891 c.69
An Act to amend the Law relating to Penal Servitude and the Prevention of Crime.
[5th August 1891]

## 1 Amendment of law as to term of penal servitude and as to sentences of imprisonment. {#section-1}

(1) Where under any enactment in force when this section comes into operation a court has power to award a sentence of penal servitude, the sentence may, at the discretion of the court, be for any period not less than three years, and not exceeding either five years, or any greater period authorised by the enactment.
(2) Where under any Act now in force or under any future Act a court is empowered or required to award a sentence of penal servitude, the court may in its discretion, unless such future Act otherwise provides, award imprisonment for any term not exceeding two years . . .
(3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

## 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {#section-26.}



## 7 Amendment of 5 Geo. 4. c. 83. and 34 & 35 Vict. c. 112. s. 15 as to rogues and vagabonds. {#section-7}

Section four of the Vagrancy Act 1824, as amended by section fifteen of the Prevention of Crimes Act 1871, shall be read and construed as if the provisions applying to suspected persons and reputed thieves frequenting the places and with the intent therein described, applied also to every suspected person or reputed thief loitering about or in any of the said places and with the said intent.

## 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {#section-8}



## 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {#section-9}



## 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . {#section-10}



## 11 Short title. {#section-11}

This Act may be cited as the Penal Servitude Act 1891 . . .