Legal Definitions - Keeling Schedule

A Keeling Schedule is a tool used in English law to show how an existing statute will look like if a proposed amendment is adopted. It is usually included as an appendix to the proposed amendment.

The schedule is named after E.H. Keeling, a member of Parliament who introduced the use of schedules in 1938 as a way to avoid amending legislation by reference. However, it is rarely used today.

Suppose there is an existing law that states "All dogs must be on a leash when in public places." A proposed amendment suggests changing the word "leash" to "harness."

A Keeling Schedule would show the revised version of the law as follows:

"All dogs must be on a harness when in public places."

The Keeling Schedule helps lawmakers and legal professionals to understand the impact of proposed amendments on existing laws.