| Act of Parliament | |
 | |
| Long title | An Act for the Establishment of County and District Constables by the Authority of the Justices of the Peace. |
|---|---|
| Introduced by | Lord John Russell |
| Territorial extent | England and Wales |
| Dates | |
| Royal assent | 27 August 1839 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | Statute Law Revision Act 1874 (No. 2) |
| Repealed by | Police Act 1964 |
Status: Repealed | |
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The County Police Act 1839 (2 & 3 Vict. c. 93) (also known as the Rural Police Act or the Rural Constabularies Act) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was one of the Police Acts 1839 to 1893.[2] The Act enabled Justices of the Peace in England and Wales to establish police forces in their counties. The Act was not compulsory, and constabularies were only established in 25 out of 55 counties[citation needed] by 1856, when the County and Borough Police Act 1856 made their provision mandatory.[3]
- ^ The citation of this Act by this short title was authorised by the Short Titles Act 1896, section 1 and the first schedule. Due to the repeal of those provisions it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
- ^ The Short Titles Act 1896, section 2(1) and Schedule 2
- ^ Waters, Les. "A Short History of the Police". The Police Gazette Part 1: Issues for 1866-1878, 1882-1897 and 1899-1900 from the Cambridgeshire Police Archive. Marlborough, Wiltshire: Adam Matthews Publications. Retrieved 7 March 2010.