Granted near-full sovereignty to British Empire Dominions, forming the legal foundation for their development as independent states.
Key Facts
- Date passed
- 11 December 1931
- Legislation reference
- 22 & 23 Geo. 5. c. 4
- Legislative body
- Parliament of the United Kingdom
- Basis declaration
- Balfour Declaration of 1926
- Still in force (modified)
- Australia and Canada
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Balfour Declaration of 1926 established the principle that the self-governing Dominions of the British Empire were equal in status to the United Kingdom, bound by a common allegiance to the Crown. This declaration required a statutory expression to make its principles legally binding and enforceable across the Empire.
The Statute of Westminster 1931 was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 11 December 1931. It removed nearly all authority of the British Parliament to legislate for the Dominions, increased their sovereignty, and required mutual consent among Dominions for changes to monarchical titles and the common line of succession.
The statute enabled the Dominions — including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and others — to develop as fully independent and sovereign states. Modified versions remain domestic law in Australia and Canada, while the statute has been implicitly repealed in former Dominions no longer part of the Commonwealth realms.