Uk Legislation API

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/{type}/{year}/{number}

# Fetch the Equality Act 2010 — returns structured XML with Dublin Core metadata
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/data.xml"
# Response: <Legislation DocumentURI="http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15"
#   NumberOfProvisions="564">
#   <dc:title>Equality Act 2010</dc:title>
#   <dc:description>An Act to make provision to require Ministers...</dc:description>

# Fetch Data Protection Act 2018
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/12/data.xml"
# Response: <dc:title>Data Protection Act 2018</dc:title>
#   NumberOfProvisions="1181"

# Fetch a Statutory Instrument
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/1374/data.xml"
# Response: <dc:title>The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restric...</dc:title>

# Fetch a single section
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/1/data.xml"

# Fetch table of contents
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents/data.xml"

# Fetch a specific Part
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/part/1/data.xml"

# Fetch a Schedule
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/schedule/1/data.xml"

# Search by title — returns HTTP 300 with multiple matches
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/id?title=equality+act"

# Browse by type, title keyword, and year
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga?title=data+protection&year=2018"

# List recent Acts via Atom feed
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/new/ukpga/data.feed"
# Response: <openSearch:totalResults> with <entry> elements per Act

# Changes affecting a specific Act (Atom feed, paginated)
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/affected/ukpga/2010/15/data.feed"
# Response: <title>Changes to Legislation</title>
#   <leg:totalPages>25</leg:totalPages>
#   Each <entry> describes one amendment with source and target provisions

# Changes made BY a specific Act
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/changes/affecting/ukpga/2010/15/data.feed"

# Legislation as it stood on a specific date
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/2015-01-01/data.xml"

# Enacted (original) version
curl "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/enacted/data.xml"

import requests
from xml.etree import ElementTree as ET

BASE = "https://www.legislation.gov.uk"
NS = {"leg": "http://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/legislation",
      "ukm": "http://www.legislation.gov.uk/namespaces/metadata",
      "dc": "http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/",
      "atom": "http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"}

def get_legislation(leg_type: str, year: int, number: int) -> dict:
    """Fetch UK legislation metadata and full XML."""
    url = f"{BASE}/{leg_type}/{year}/{number}/data.xml"
    resp = requests.get(url)
    resp.raise_for_status()
    root = ET.fromstring(resp.content)
    meta = root.find(".//ukm:Metadata", NS)
    return {
        "title": meta.findtext("dc:title", namespaces=NS),
        "description": meta.findtext("dc:description", namespaces=NS),
        "provisions": root.attrib.get("NumberOfProvisions"),
        "extent": root.attrib.get("RestrictExtent"),
        "uri": root.attrib.get("DocumentURI"),
        "xml": resp.content
    }

# Example: fetch the Equality Act 2010
act = get_legislation("ukpga", 2010, 15)
print(f"{act['title']} — {act['provisions']} provisions, extent: {act['extent']}")
# Output: Equality Act 2010 — 564 provisions, extent: E+W+S+N.I.