Act of Security 1704

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The Act of Security 1704 was a pivotal Scottish law asserting the Scottish Parliament’s right to choose a separate successor to the throne from England unless key economic and political conditions were met, intensifying the constitutional crisis that led to the 1707 Acts of Union.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf Act of the Parliament of Scotland
Scottish statute
affects Crown of Scotland
union of the crowns
aimedAt securing Scottish economic and political interests in any future union of crowns
appliesTo succession to the Scottish throne
assertedRight right of the Estates of Parliament to name a successor to the Scottish crown
category 1704 in Scotland
1704 in law
Scottish constitutional history
Succession acts
conditionImposed that Scotland could choose a different monarch from England unless certain conditions were met
that economic and political guarantees had to be secured from England for a shared monarch
consequence contributed to the pressure leading to the Acts of Union 1707
country Kingdom of Scotland
dateEnacted 1704
enforcementMechanism withholding of supply by the Scottish Parliament to compel royal assent
historicalContext succession crisis following the impending end of the Stuart line in England and Scotland
tensions after the 1701 English Act of Settlement
historicalPeriod pre-Union Scotland
influenced negotiations over the Treaty of Union
jurisdiction Scotland
languageOfWork English
Scots
legalDomain public law
legalStatus superseded by the Acts of Union 1707
legislativeBody Parliament of Scotland
mainSubject constitutional law
relations between Scotland and England
royal succession
monarchAtTimeOfEnactment Queen Anne
opposedBy Queen Anne
placeOfEnactment Edinburgh
politicalEffect heightened fears in England of a divergent Scottish succession
increased leverage of the Scottish Parliament in negotiations with England
intensified the constitutional crisis between Scotland and England
precededBy Claim of Right 1689 (in the broader constitutional sequence)
purpose to assert the right of the Parliament of Scotland to choose a successor to the Scottish crown
reactionTo Act of Settlement 1701
region Kingdom of Great Britain (after 1707, as historical law of Scotland)
relatedTo Acts of Union 1707
Alien Act 1705
shortName Act of Security
timePeriod early 18th century
typeOfLaw constitutional statute
vetoAttemptedBy Queen Anne

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Parliament of Scotland
notableAct

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