Statute of Westminster 1931

The Statute of Westminster of 1931 was enacted on December 11, 1931 by the British parliament and gave the Dominions of the British Commonwealth of Nations formally legislative independence. It is in the history of the United Kingdom, a milestone in the process of transition from Empire to Commonwealth with equal member states.

The Statute of Westminster 1931 granted to the Dominion of Canada, the Commonwealth of Australia, New Zealand, the Irish Free State, Union of South Africa and Newfoundland, the complete legislative independence, confirming formally the Balfour report of 1926; excluded were only constitutional changes in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where the British Parliament still had skills - extinguished in relation to Canada this only in 1982 (see: Constitution of Canada ), in relation to Australia with the Australia Act of 1986.

For Australia, New Zealand and Newfoundland, the statute should enter into force only after approval by the local parliaments. In Australia, this took place in 1942 in New Zealand until 1947 instead. In Newfoundland, it never came to the implementation of the Statute - the country was ruled since the thirties again by the UK directly and joined Canada in 1949.