Eighty seven years ago today, the Statute of Westminster, 1931 received Royal Assent from His Majesty King George V. By it the 'Old Dominions', the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, the Dominion of New Zealand, the Dominion of Newfoundland, Saorstát Éireann, and the Union of South Africa became legislatively independent of the Imperial Parliament in London.
It was never adopted by the Irish Free State or Newfoundland. In the case of the Free State, it had unconstitutionally arrogated legislative independence to itself in 1922. In Newfoundland's case, the Dominion was nearly bankrupt and rife with corruption. In fact, at the request of the Dominion Government, direct rule from London was resumed just three years later in 1934. It remained in effect until Newfoundland became Canada's 10th Province in 1949.
Whilst it is generally forgotten today, except by constitutional lawyers and history nerds like me, it was a vital step in the evolution of the British Empire into the British Commonwealth.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are subject to deletion if they are not germane. I have no problem with a bit of colourful language, but blasphemy or depraved profanity will not be allowed. Attacks on the Catholic Faith will not be tolerated. Comments will be deleted that are republican (Yanks! Note the lower case 'r'!), attacks on the legitimacy of Pope Leo XIV as the Vicar of Christ, the legitimacy of the House of Windsor or of the claims of the Elder Line of the House of France, or attacks on the legitimacy of any of the currently ruling Houses of Europe.