Being an 'incorrigible rogue' no longer illegal in England and Wales

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- The Vagrancy Act 1824, which made it against the law to be an “incorrigible rogue” in England and Wales, has been repealed.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an "incorrigible" person is someone who is "not able to be changed or reformed.”

The offense was just one of 309 that are going to be wiped off the books in May.

Another crime being removed is “solemnizing marriage outside specified hours."

The Vagrancy Act 1824 was enacted to help curtail problems that arose in England following the Napoleonic Wars when there were many soldiers returning to the country without jobs or places to live. The act was “for the punishment of idle and disorderly persons, and rogues and vagabonds.”

Although some crimes were removed, others were created. A total of 327 new criminal acts were added, including the Antarctic Act 2013. The Antarctic Act makes it illegal to engage in activities that give rise to an environmental emergency in Antarctica and can be connected to the U.K.

[The Independent]