The Riot Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain
that authorized local authorities to declare any group of twelve or more people
to be unlawfully assembled, and thus have to disperse or face punitive action.
The Act, whose long title was "An Act for preventing tumults and riotous
assemblies, and for the more speedy and effectual punishes the rioters",
came into force on 1 August 1715. It was repealed for England and Wales by
section 10(2) of, and Part III of Schedule 3 to, the Criminal Law Act 1967.
