# Riot (Damages) Act 1886

The Riot (Damages) Act 1886 (49 & 50 Vict. c. 38) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It authorised the payment of compensation, from the police fund of the police area in question, to persons whose property had been injured, destroyed or stolen during a riot. The Act was repealed and replaced by the Riot Compensation Act 2016 which received royal assent on 23 March 2016.
In the Act, the words "riotous" and "riotously" were to be construed in accordance with section 1 of the Public Order Act 1986.
The Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that the act sets out a self-contained statutory compensation scheme which does not extend to cover consequential losses.

## Preamble

The preamble was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1898.

## Section 1 - Short title

This section authorised the citation of the Act by a short title.

## Section 2 - Compensation to persons for damage by riot

This section now reads:
   (1) Where a house, shop, or building in [a police area] has been injured or destroyed, or the property therein has been injured, stolen, or destroyed, by any persons riotously and tumultuously assembled together, such compensation as hereinafter mentioned shall be paid out of [the police fund] of [the area] to any person who has sustained loss by such injury, stealing, or destruction; but in fixing the amount of such compensation regard shall be had to the conduct of the said person, whether as respects the precautions taken by him or as respects his being a party or accessory to such riotous or tumultuous assembly, or as regards any provocation offered to the persons assembled or otherwise.
Textual amendments
The references to a police area were substituted, for the previous references to a police district, by sections 103(1) and 104(1) of, and paragraph 9 of Part II of Schedule 7 to, the Police Act 1996.
The words "the police fund" were substituted for the words "the police rate" by Schedule 9 to the Police Act 1964.
"House, shop or building", "police area" and "police fund"
These expressions are defined by section 9.

## Section 3 - Mode of awarding compensation

This section now reads:
   (2) A Secretary of State may from time to time make, and when made, revoke and vary regulations respecting the time, manner, and conditions within, in, and under which claims for compensation under this Act are to be made, and all claims not made in accordance with such regulations may be excluded. Such regulations may also provide for the particulars to be stated in any claim, and for the verification of any claim, and of any facts incidental thereto, by statutory declarations, production of books, vouchers, and documents, entry of premises, and otherwise, and may also provide for any matter which under this Act can be prescribed, and for the [compensation authority] obtaining information and assistance for determining the said claims.
Textual amendments
The words "police area" were substituted for the references to a police district by sections 103(1) and 104(1) of, and paragraph 10 of Part II of Schedule 7 to, the Police Act 1996.
The words "compensation authority" were substituted for the words "police authority" by Schedule 9 to the Police Act 1964.
"Police area" and "compensation authority"
These expressions are defined by section 9.
"Secretary of State"
This expression is defined by the Interpretation Act 1978.
"Sixpence"
The word "sixpence" in section 3(3) is to be read as referring to the sum of 2½p by virtue of section 10(1) of the Decimal Currency Act 1969.
Orders made under section 3(2)
* SR&O Rev. 1904, XI, "Riot, England", p. I., made on 30 June 1894, and revoked by article 13 of the next mentioned Order.
* Regulations under the Riot (Damages) Act 1886, as to claims for compensation (1921) (SR&O 1921/1536)
* The Riot (Damages) (Amendment) Regulations 1986 (SI 1986/76)
* The Riot (Damages) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/2002)
* The Riot (Damages) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/2009)

## Section 4 - Right of action to person aggrieved

Section 4(1) now reads:
The words in square brackets were substituted by schedule 9 to the Police Act 1964.
Section 4(2) was repealed on 5 November 1993 by section 1(1) of, and Group 1 of Part I of Schedule 1 to, the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1993.

## Section 5 - Payment of compensation and expenses, and raising of money
### Section 5(1)

Section 5(1) now reads:
The words in square brackets were substituted by Schedule 9 to the Police Act 1964.
The words "and the amount required to meet the said payments (in this Act referred to as riot expenses), shall be raised as part of the police rate" at the end were repealed by Part I of Schedule 10 to the Police Act 1964.

### Sections 5(2) to (4)

Sections 5(2) and (4) were repealed by Part I of Schedule 10 to the Police Act 1964.
Section 5(3) was repealed by Schedule 30 to the Local Government Act 1972.

## Section 6 - Application of the act to wreck and machinery

This section now reads:
       (a) . . .
       (b) in the case of the injury or destruction, by persons riotously and tumultuously assembled together, of any machinery, whether fixed or movable, prepared for or employed in any manufacture, or agriculture, or any branch thereof, or of any erection or fixture about or belonging to such machinery, or of any steam engine or other engine for sinking, draining, or working any mine or quarry, or of any staith or erection used in conducting the business of any mine or quarry, or of any bridge, waggon-way, or trunk for conveying minerals or other product from any mine or quarry;
Section 6(a) was repealed by Schedule 22 to the Merchant Shipping Act 1894. It read: "in the case of the plundering, damage, or destruction of any ship or boat stranded or in distress on or near the shore of any sea or tidal water, or of any part of the cargo or apparel of such ship or boat, by persons riotously and tumultuously assembled together, whether on shore or afloat."
The words "plundering, damage" in the penultimate place, and the words "and as if, in the case of such ship, boat, or cargo not being in any police district, such plundering, damage, or destruction took place in the nearest police district" at the end, were repealed by the same Schedule.

## Section 8 - Compensation for loss sustained before passing of Act

This section was repealed by Part I of Schedule 10 to the Police Act 1964.

## Section 9 - Definitions

This section defines the expressions "person", "police area", "police fund", "compensation authority", and "house, shop, or building".
The definition of "borough" was repealed on 5 November 1993 by section 1(1) of, and Group 1 of Part I of Schedule 1 to, the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1993.
The definition of "Secretary of State" was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act 1898.

## Section 10 - Repeal of Acts, and provision as to references to repealed Acts

This section was repealed on 5 November 1993 by section 1(1) of, and Group 1 of Part I of Schedule 1 to, the Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1993.

## Section 11 - Extent of act

This section reads:
In the United Kingdom, the reference to Ireland must now be construed as a reference to Northern Ireland.

## Repeal

In 2002, Lord Bradshaw moved and then withdrew an amendment to the Police Reform Bill to repeal this Act. He said it was widely viewed as archaic.
The Act was repealed by the Riot Compensation Act 2016 which received Royal assent on 23 March 2016.