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This version of this statute is extracted from the UK Statute Law Database (SLD). It is not necessarily in the form in which it was originally enacted but is a revised version, which means that any subsequent amendments to the text and other effects are incorporated with annotations.
An Act to make provision for British nationality and for citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.
[30th July 1948]
C1Act saved by Ireland Act 1949 (c. 41), s. 3(1)(a): extended by Ireland Act 1949 (c. 41), s. 3(1)(b) and Cyprus Act 1960 (c. 52), s. 4(7); applied by Medical Act 1950 (c. 29), s. 31(5)
C2Words of enactment omitted under authority of Statute Law Revision Act 1948 (c. 62), s. 3
C3The whole Act except—(a) section 3;(b) section 32(3);(c) section 33(1) from the beginning to the words “Isle of Man”; and (d) section 34(1), repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(7)(8), Schs. 8,9
C4Act saved by Children Act 1975 (c. 72, SIF 49:9,10), (E.W.) by s. 8(9), Sch. 1 Pt. II paras. 3, 7(2)(a) and (S.) by s. 8(10), Sch. 2 para. 1(1)(4)(a) (but note that Children Act 1975 (c. 72, SIF 49:9) is repealed (prosp.) by Children Act 1989 (c. 41, SIF 20), s. 108(7), Sch. 15) and saved (E.W.) by Adoption Act 1976 (c. 36, SIF 49:11), s. 47(2)(a)
F1Ss. 1, 2, 4–32(2), 32(4)–(11), 33(2), 34(3), schs. 1–4 repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(7)(8), Sch. 8 para. 1(2), Sch. 9
(1)A British subject or citizen of Eire who is not a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall not be guilty of an offence against the laws of any part of the United Kingdom and Colonies or of any protectorate or United Kingdom trust territory by reason of anything done or omitted in any country mentioned in subsection (3) of section one of this Act or in Eire or in any foreign country, unless—
(a)the act or omission would be an offence if he were an alien; and
(b)in the case of an act or omission in any country mentioned in subsection (3) of section one of this Act or in Eire, it would be an offence if the country in which the act is done or the omission made were a foreign country:
Provided that nothing in this subsection shall apply to the contravention of any provision of the [F1Merchant Shipping Act 1995].
(2)Subject to the provisions of this section, any law in force in any part of the United Kingdom and Colonies or in any protectorate or United Kingdom trust territory at the date of the commencement of this Act, whether by virtue of a rule of law or of an Act of Parliament or any other enactment or instrument whatsoever, and any law which by virtue of any Act of Parliament passed before that date comes into force in any such place as aforesaid on or after that date, shall, until provision to the contrary is made by the authority having power to alter that law, continue to have effect in relation to citizens of Eire who are not British subjects in like manner as it has effect in relation to British subjects.
(3)In the M1Aliens Restriction Acts, 1914 M2 and 1919, and in any order made thereunder the expression “alien” shall not include a British protected person.
[F2(4)In this section “foreign country” and “British protected person” have the same meaning as in the British Nationality Act 1981.]
F1Words in s. 3(1) substituted (1.1.1996) by 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(2), 316(2), Sch. 13 para.22 (with s. 312(1))
F2S. 3(4) inserted by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), s. 52(6)(7), Sch. 7, Sch. 8 para. 1(2)
C1S. 3(1) saved by Civil Aviation Act 1949 (c. 67), s. 59(1); excluded by Antarctic Treaty Act 1967 (c. 65), s. 10(8)
C2S. 3(2) amended by Ireland Act 1949 (c. 41), s. 4
C3S. 3 excluded (N.I.) by Criminal Jurisdiction Act 1975 (c. 59, SIF 39:2), s. 1(4)
M11914 c. 12.
M21919 c. 92.
British Nationality Act 1948