The Black Act 1723 (9 Geo. 1 c. 22) was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1723 in response to a series of raids by two groups of poachers, known as the Blacks. The Act was expanded over the years and greatly strengthened the criminal code by specifying over 200 capital crimes, many with intensified punishment. Arson, for example, was expanded to include the new crime of burning or the threat of burning haystacks. The London Building Act 1774, which imposed restrictions on exterior decoration, was also known as the Black Act.