The regulations governing University business and the management of Colleges. The earliest University statutes were probably devised piece-meal, but complete bodies of statutes were imposed on the University from the time of Edward VI. The most durable were those given by Queen Elizabeth in 1570, which remained in force until the 1850s. From the 16th century any statute drawn up by the University itself has been subject to confirmation or enforcement by the crown. The precise manner in which the statutes are to be observed was anciently laid down in a series of interpretations by the Vice-Chancellor and Heads of Houses; since the mid 19th century it has been embodied in printed ordinances.
