Statute of Westminster 1931

Statute of Westminster, 1931^[a]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to give effect to certain resolutions passed by Imperial Conferences held in the years 1926 and 1930.
Citation	22 & 23 Geo. 5. c. 4
Introduced by	J. H. Thomas, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs
Territorial extent	United Kingdom Australia Canada Irish Free State Newfoundland Dominion of New Zealand South Africa
Dates
Royal assent	11 December 1931
Other legislation
Amends	Colonial Laws Validity Act 1865
Amended by	British North America Act 1949 South Africa Act 1962 Interpretation Act 1978 Merchant Shipping Act 1995
Status: Amended
Records of Parliamentary debate relating to the statute from Hansard
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Statute of Westminster 1931^[a] is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that significantly increased the autonomy of the Dominions of the British Commonwealth.

Passed on 11 December 1931, the statute increased the sovereignty of the self-governing Dominions of the British Empire from the United Kingdom. It also bound them all to seek each other's approval for changes to monarchical titles and the common line of succession. The statute was effective either immediately or upon ratification. It thus became a statutory embodiment of the principles of equality and common allegiance to the Crown set out in the Balfour Declaration of 1926. As the statute removed nearly all of the British parliament's authority to legislate for the Dominions, it was a crucial step in the development of the Dominions as separate, independent, and sovereign states.

Its modified versions are now domestic law in Australia and Canada; it has been repealed in New Zealand^[1] and implicitly in former Dominions that are no longer Commonwealth realms.^[2][3]

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