British Dominions

E16909

The British Dominions were semi-autonomous territories within the British Empire, such as Canada and Australia, that recognized the British monarch as their head of state while gradually developing self-governing institutions.


Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf constitutional status
political concept
appliedTo Australia
Canada
Irish Free State
New Zealand
Newfoundland and Labrador
surface form: Newfoundland

Dominion of South Africa
surface form: Union of South Africa
category constitutional history of the Commonwealth of Nations
constitutional history of the United Kingdom
former countries in the British Empire
constitutionalRelationshipWith United Kingdom
declinedInUse mid-20th century
describedAs autonomous communities within the British Empire
developed self-governing institutions
emergedFrom European colonial empires
surface form: British colonies
evolvedInto Commonwealth realms
fully sovereign states
formalizedBy Imperial Conference of 1926
surface form: Imperial Conferences
governanceModel parliamentary democracy
governedBy responsible government
granted internal self-government
hadLegislativeAutonomy after Statute of Westminster 1931
hadRightTo withdraw from the British Empire (after Statute of Westminster 1931)
hasCharacteristic self-governing
semi-autonomous
white settler colonies
hasLegalBasis Statute of Westminster 1931
headOfGovernmentTitle Prime Minister
influencedBy British constitutional law
language English
legalStatusClarifiedIn interwar period
mentionedIn Imperial Conference of 1926
surface form: Balfour Declaration of 1926 (Imperial Conference)
partOf British Empire
recognizedHeadOfState British monarch
relatedConcept Commonwealth of Nations
surface form: British Commonwealth of Nations

Dominion status
representedMonarchBy Governor-General
retained British control over constitutional amendments (initially)
British control over foreign policy (initially)
sharedMonarchWith United Kingdom
supersededByTerm Commonwealth country
timePeriod early 20th century
late 19th century
usedFor governing overseas territories of the British Empire

Referenced by (2)

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

Edward VII monarchOf British Dominions
George V monarchOf British Dominions