Statute of Westminster

Statute of Westminster

The Statute of Westminster 1931 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Passed on 11 December 1931, the Act established legislative equality for the self-governing dominions of the British Empire with the United Kingdom.

The Statute remains domestic law within each of the other Commonwealth realms, to the extent that it has not been implicitly repealed by subsequent laws.

The Statute is of historical importance because it marked the effective legislative independence of these countries, either immediately or upon ratification.

The residual constitutional powers retained by the Westminster parliament have now largely been superseded by subsequent legislation. Its current relevance is that it sets the basis for the continuing relationship between the Commonwealth realms and the Crown.