Statute of Westminster 1931

E4828

The Statute of Westminster 1931 is a landmark British law that granted full legislative independence to the self-governing Dominions of the British Empire, laying the constitutional foundation for the modern Commonwealth realms and redefining the role of the British monarch within them.

All labels observed (8)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom
constitutional statute
appliesTo Commonwealth of Australia
linked to: Australia

Dominion of Canada
Dominion of New Zealand
linked to: New Zealand

Irish Free State
Newfoundland
Union of South Africa
linked to: South Africa
basedOn Balfour Declaration of 1926
citation 22 Geo. 5 c. 4
commencementInAustralia 1942-10-09
commencementInCanada 1931-12-11
commencementInIrishFreeState 1931-12-11
commencementInNewfoundland 1931-12-11
commencementInNewZealand 1947-11-25
commencementInSouthAfrica 1931-12-11
contains Preamble affirming equality of status of the Dominions and the United Kingdom
Section 10 providing for commencement in each Dominion
Section 2 removing repugnancy to UK law as a ground of invalidity for Dominion laws
Section 3 granting Dominion parliaments full power to make extraterritorial laws
Section 4 restricting UK legislation for Dominions to cases with Dominion request and consent
Section 7 concerning succession to the Crown and Royal Style and Titles
country United Kingdom
dateEnacted 1931-12-11
dateOfRoyalAssent 1931-12-11
effect ended British Parliament’s power to legislate for Dominions without their consent
established that Dominion laws could not be invalidated for repugnancy to UK law
laid constitutional foundations of the modern Commonwealth realms
recognized the Dominions as autonomous communities within the British Empire
redefined the role of the British monarch in the Dominions
follows Imperial Conference of 1926
Imperial Conference of 1930
grants full legislative autonomy to the Dominions
legislative equality between the Dominions and the United Kingdom
historicalSignificance key step in the constitutional evolution from British Empire to Commonwealth of Nations
introducedBy James Henry Thomas
legalStatusInAustralia in force
legalStatusInCanada in force
legalStatusInIrishFreeState superseded
legalStatusInNewZealand in force
legalStatusInSouthAfrica repealed
legalStatusInUK partly in force
legislativeBody House of Commons of the United Kingdom
House of Lords
longTitle An Act to give effect to certain resolutions passed by Imperial Conferences held in the years 1926 and 1930
parliament Parliament of the United Kingdom
linked to: British Parliament
relatedTo Australia Act 1986
Canada Act 1982
New Zealand Constitution Amendment Act 1947
shortTitle Statute of Westminster 1931

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (31)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

British monarch furtherDefinedBy Statute of Westminster 1931
South Africa independenceEvent Statute of Westminster 1931
Statute of Westminster 1931 shortTitle Statute of Westminster 1931
Irish Free State signed Statute of Westminster 1931
Dominions of the British Empire statusDefinedBy Statute of Westminster 1931
British Dominions hasLegalBasis Statute of Westminster 1931
Dominion of Australia significantEvent Statute of Westminster 1931
Dominion of Australia significantEvent Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942
linked to: Statute of Westminster 1931
Anglo-Irish Treaty legalSuccessor Statute of Westminster 1931 (regarding dominion autonomy)
linked to: Statute of Westminster 1931
Dominion of Canada fullAutonomyInstrument Statute of Westminster 1931
Imperial Conference of 1926 followedBy Statute of Westminster 1931
Australia Act 1986 relatedTo Statute of Westminster 1931
New Zealand Constitution Amendment Act 1947 relatedTo Statute of Westminster 1931
New Zealand Constitution Amendment Act 1947 relatedTo Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947 (New Zealand)
linked to: Statute of Westminster 1931
British monarchy keyEvent Statute of Westminster 1931
Ceylon Independence Act 1947 relatedTo Statute of Westminster 1931
Treaties of New Zealand includes Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947
linked to: Statute of Westminster 1931
Treaties of the United Kingdom hasPart Statute of Westminster 1931
Irish Free State (Agreement) Act 1922 relatedLegislation Statute of Westminster 1931
New Zealand hasIndependenceProcess Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947
linked to: Statute of Westminster 1931
Crown in right of Australia affectedBy Statute of Westminster 1931
subject linked to: the Crown in right of Australia
Crown in right of Australia affectedBy Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 (Australia)
subject linked to: the Crown in right of Australia
linked to: Statute of Westminster 1931
Letters Patent, 1947 relatedTo Statute of Westminster, 1931
linked to: Statute of Westminster 1931
Commonwealth of Australia independenceEvent Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942
linked to: Statute of Westminster 1931
Imperial Conference of 1923 relatedTo Statute of Westminster 1931
Imperial Conference of 1930 influenced Statute of Westminster 1931
South Africa Act 1909 partiallySupersededBy Statute of Westminster 1931
Union era of South Africa keyEvent Statute of Westminster 1931
Queen of Canada establishedBy Statute of Westminster 1931 (evolution of separate Crown)
linked to: Statute of Westminster 1931
Constitution Act 1986 repealedAct Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947
linked to: Statute of Westminster 1931