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- Private acts are laws in the United Kingdom which apply to a particular individual or group of individuals, or corporate entity. This contrasts with a public general Act of Parliament (statute) which applies to the nation-state. Private acts can afford relief from another law; grant a unique benefit or, grant powers not available under the general law; or, relieve someone from legal responsibility for some allegedly wrongful act. There are now two types of private act: Acts for the benefit of individuals (known as personal acts), and others acts of local or limited application (known as local acts). This distinction between personal acts and local acts was introduced in 1797, before that time there were simply private acts. Private acts should not be confused with private member's bills—which, in the Westminster system, are bills for a public general Act of Parliament proposed by individual parliamentarians rather than the government. About 11,000 private or personal acts have been passed since 1539, and 26,500 local acts have become law since 1797 (when local acts were separated from public general acts). (en)
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