An Act to prevent Abuse of the process of the High Court and other Courts by the Institution of vexatious Legal Proceedings.

[14^th August 1896.]

BE it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this Present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Power of court to prohibit institution of action without leave

1. It shall be lawful for the Attorney-General to apply to the High Court for an order under this Act, and if he satisfies the High Court that any person has habitually and persistently instituted vexatious legal proceedings without any reasonable ground for instituting such proceedings, whether in the High Court or in any inferior court, and whether against the same person or against different persons, the court may, after hearing such person or giving him an opportunity of being heard, after assigning counsel in case such person is unable on account of poverty to retain counsel, order that no legal proceedings shall be instituted by that person in the High Court or any other court, unless he obtains the leave of the High Court or some judge thereof, and satisfies the court or judge that such legal proceeding is not an abuse of the process of the court, and that there is prima facie ground for such proceeding. A copy of such order shall be published in the London Gazette.

2.––(1.) This Act shall not extend to Scotland or Ireland.

(2.) This Act may be cited as the Vexatious Actions Act, 1896.

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