Police Act 1890 Explained

Short Title:Police Act 1890
Type:Act
Parliament:Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long Title:An Act to make provision respecting the Pensions, Allowances, and Gratuities of Police Constables in England and Wales, and their Widows and Children, and to make other provisions respecting the Police of England and Wales.
Statute Book Chapter:53 & 54 Vict. c. 45
Territorial Extent:United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Royal Assent:14 August 1890
Repealing Legislation:Police Act 1964
Status:repealed
Short Title:Police (Scotland) Act 1890
Type:Act
Parliament:Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long Title:An Act to make provision respecting the Pensions, Allowances, and Gratuities of Police Constables in Scotland, and their Widows and Children, and to make other provisions respecting the Police of Scotland.
Year:1890
Citation:53 & 54 Vict. c. 67
Royal Assent:18 August 1890
Repealing Legislation:Police (Scotland) Act 1956
Status:repealed

The Police Act 1890 (53 & 54 Vict. c. 45) was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom setting up a system of police pensions.

A similar system for Scottish forces was established by the Police (Scotland) Act 1890. (53 & 54 Vict. c. 67)

Only a system of discretionary pensions for injury had previously existed.[1] The acts set a requirement of at least 25 years' service, reduced to 15 (England and Wales) or 20 (Scotland) years for retirement due to "infirmity of mind or body" and waived for retirement due to injury in the line of duty. They also established discretionary gratuities for retirement due to infirmity.

They also covered widows' pensions and children's allowances for officers dying whilst still in service "from the effect of an injury received in the execution of his duty". It also instituted similar widows' and children's allowances if an officer died from any other cause whilst still in service and widows' and children's pensions and gratuities if he died less than a year after retiring due to injury, though unlike the pensions for injury these were all at the discretion of individual police forces.

Notes and References

  1. 'Pensions', in Martin Fido and Keith Skinner, 'The Official Encyclopedia of Scotland Yard' (Virgin Books, London, 1999), page 195