Buggery Act 1533. Formally titled An Acte for the punishment of the vice of Buggerie (25 Hen. 8. c. 6), a law. This was England‘s first civil sodomy law, enacted during the reign of Henry VIII.
Piloted by Thomas Cromwell, the Act criminalized “buggery” (interpreted as anal penetration and bestiality) and made it punishable by death. Previously under ecclesiastical jurisdiction, this law marked a shift toward secular control over moral offenses.
Repealed during Queen Mary I‘s reign, it was reinstated by Elizabeth I in 1562 and remained in effect until replaced by the Offences Against the Person Act 1828.
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