Byelaws in the United Kingdom

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. In the United Kingdom, byelaws are laws of local or limited application which are made by local councils or other bodies, using powers granted by an Act of Parliament, and so are a form of delegated legislation. Some byelaws are made by private companies or charities which exercise public or semi-public functions, such as airport operators, water companies or the National Trust. At present, because byelaws create criminal offences which can be prosecuted in Magistrates' Courts, they have to be approved by central government before they can come into force. However, there are plans to make offences against byelaws punishable through the use of Fixed Penalty Notices, and to remove the need for local council byelaws to be centrally approved. Local council byelaws are generally restricted in scope to a particular place, for example a park, or a particular class of activities, such as amusement arcades or the employment of children. Byelaws made by public transport companies are limited to the transport facilities operated by the organisation making the byelaw.