British Nationality Act 1948

E279073

The British Nationality Act 1948 was a landmark UK law that redefined British nationality across the post-war Commonwealth by creating the status of "Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies" and reshaping the relationship between Britain and its former empire.

All labels observed (2)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Act of Parliament of the United Kingdom
British nationality law
abbreviationOfStatus CUKC
affected immigration rights of Commonwealth citizens to the United Kingdom
appliedTo British colonies
British mandated territories
British protected states
British protectorates
British trust territories
United Kingdom
cameIntoForce 1949-01-01
citation 11 & 12 Geo. 6. c. 56
country United Kingdom
createdStatus Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies
definedStatusFor British subjects
Citizens of independent Commonwealth countries
historicalContext emergence of independent Commonwealth countries
post-Second World War decolonisation
impact created a common status for people in the United Kingdom and its colonies
influenced migration from the Commonwealth to the United Kingdom
reshaped relationship between the United Kingdom and its empire
introducedBy UK government
surface form: Government of the United Kingdom
introducedConcept British citizenship
surface form: Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies
jurisdiction United Kingdom
language English
legalStatus largely repealed
legislature British Parliament
surface form: Parliament of the United Kingdom
maintainedConcept British subject status
partOf United Kingdom nationality law framework
providedFor acquisition of CUKC by birth
acquisition of CUKC by descent
acquisition of CUKC by naturalisation
acquisition of CUKC by registration
purpose to accommodate independence of former British colonies within the Commonwealth
to define who was a Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies
to regulate acquisition and loss of CUKC status
to reorganise British nationality law after the Second World War
redefinedConcept British nationality
regulated loss of CUKC by deprivation
loss of CUKC by renunciation
relatedLegislation British Nationality Act 1965
British Nationality Act 1981
Immigration Act 1971
relatedTo Commonwealth of Nations
royalAssentDate 1948-07-30
shortName BNA 1948
supersededBy British Nationality Act 1981
yearEnacted 1948

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (5)

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

British Overseas Territories Act 2002 relatedTo British Nationality Act 1948
British nationality law legalBasis British Nationality Act 1948
British nationality law reformedBy British Nationality Act 1948
British Nationality Act 1981 replaced British Nationality Act 1948
British citizenship precededBy British Nationality Act 1948
this entity surface form: Citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies