Warning
Info
Warning
Info
Simple English definitions for legal terms
Act of Supremacy
Read a random definition: covenant of good right to convey
A quick definition of Act of Supremacy:
The Act of Supremacy was a law passed in England during the reign of King Henry VIII in 1534. It made the king the leader of the Church of England and gave him the power to make decisions about religious matters. The law was passed to counteract pro-Catholic laws passed during the reign of Mary Tudor. The law was confirmed in 1559 and gave the monarch the power to issue orders about church affairs.
A more thorough explanation:
The Act of Supremacy was a law passed in England during the reign of King Henry VIII in 1534. It declared that the English monarch was the supreme head of the Church of England, which meant that the king had authority over the church and its affairs.
The Act was passed to counteract pro-Catholic legislation enacted during the reign of Mary Tudor. It was confirmed in 1559 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
One of the powers that the Act gave to the monarch was the ability to issue injunctions relating to ecclesiastical affairs. This meant that the king or queen could make decisions about how the church was run and what its practices should be.
For example, if the monarch wanted to change the way that the church conducted its services or how it appointed its leaders, they could issue an injunction to make those changes happen.
The Act of Supremacy was an important moment in English history because it established the Church of England as a separate entity from the Catholic Church and gave the monarch significant power over religious matters.