Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940

E105175

The Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940 was a British wartime statute that expanded and renewed the government's authority to make defence regulations and exercise wide-ranging emergency powers during the Second World War.

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All labels observed (4)

Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom
wartime emergency legislation
amends Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
appliesTo Great Britain
Northern Ireland
authorised censorship and control of information related to defence
control of property and industry for the war effort
detention and restriction of persons for defence purposes
making of Defence Regulations by Order in Council
regulation of essential supplies and services
category Emergency laws in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1940
World War II law
country United Kingdom
enabled broad executive discretion in wartime administration
centralised wartime economic planning in the United Kingdom
enactedBy British Parliament
surface form: Parliament of the United Kingdom
era 20th‑century United Kingdom legislation
extends Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
government Winston Churchill wartime coalition government
grantedTo His Majesty’s Government
surface form: His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom

Privy Council
surface form: Privy Council acting by Order in Council
historicalSignificance key legal foundation for British wartime emergency powers during World War II
jurisdiction United Kingdom
language English
legalArea emergency powers
national security law
wartime economic regulation
legalSystem common law
legislativeBody British Parliament
surface form: Parliament of the United Kingdom
purpose to enable wide‑ranging control over persons, property and the economy for defence of the realm
to expand the British government’s authority to make defence regulations
to renew emergency powers granted at the outbreak of the Second World War
relatedTo Defence Regulations (United Kingdom)
Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940 self-linksurface differs
surface form: Emergency Powers (Defence) (No. 2) Act 1940

Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
royalAssent 1940
status spent
subjectMatter control of resources for military purposes
defence of the realm
public safety in time of war
temporalContext World War II
surface form: Second World War
timePeriod World War II home front
typeOfPower delegated legislative power to the executive

Referenced by (7)

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

Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 relatedTo Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940
Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 relatedTo Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940
this entity surface form: Emergency Powers (Defence) (No. 2) Act 1940
Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 relatedTo Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940
this entity surface form: Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1945
National Fire Service (United Kingdom) legalBasis Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940
this entity surface form: Fire Services (Emergency Provisions) Act 1941
Defence Regulations (United Kingdom) legalBasis Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940
Defence Regulations (United Kingdom) legalBasis Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940
this entity surface form: Emergency Powers (Defence) (No. 2) Act 1940
Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940 relatedTo Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940 self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Emergency Powers (Defence) (No. 2) Act 1940