41-635: The British Islands is a term within the law of the United Kingdom which refers collectively to the following four polities : The Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Guernsey and Jersey are Crown Dependencies and are not a part of the United Kingdom. The Parliament of the United Kingdom on occasions introduces legislation that is extended to the islands, normally by the use of Orders in Council . For this reason it has been found useful to have
82-582: A Wales criminal justice system . The law of Northern Ireland is a common law system. It is administered by the courts of Northern Ireland, with ultimate appeal to the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in both civil and criminal matters. The law of Northern Ireland is closely similar to English law, the rules of common law having been imported into the Kingdom of Ireland under English rule. However, there are important differences. The sources of
123-678: A collective term for the combined territories. A statutory definition can be found in Schedule 1 of the Interpretation Act 1978 . The term The United Kingdom and the Islands is used in the Immigration Act 1971 . Section 5 of the Interpretation Act 1978 provides that "in any Act , unless the contrary intention appears" the expression "British Islands" is to be construed according to Schedule 1 of that Act, which contains
164-650: A definition of "British Islands". Section 13(3) of the Foreign and Colonial Parcel Post Warrant 1897 ( SR&O 1897 /721) and section 6(2) of the Foreign and Colonial Post (Insured Boxes) Warrant 1908 ( SR&O 1908 /1313) refer to "the law of the British Islands". Section 62(16) of the Inland Post Warrant 1936 ( SR&O 1936 /618) defined the expression "Inland" in terms of the British Islands. The definition of "inland bill" in section 4(1) of
205-573: A further major source of Scots law. Under the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2020 following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union in 2020 it is required that devolved Scots law has to stay in alignment with future EU law despite the virtue of no longer being a member state . British passport (Isle of Man) The Isle of Man-variant British passport , also known as
246-592: A legislature with England and Wales . While each retained fundamentally different legal systems, the 1707 Union brought English and Welsh influence upon Scots law, and vice versa. Since the accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities in 1973, Scots law has been affected by European law under the Treaty of Rome . The establishment of Scottish Parliament in 1999, which legislates within domestic areas of legislative competence , has created
287-462: A particular geographical area for a variety of historical reasons: English law , Scots law , Northern Ireland law , and, since 2007, calls for a fourth type, that of purely Welsh law as a result of Welsh devolution , with further calls for a Welsh justice system . In fulfilment of its former EU treaty obligations, European Union directives were actively transposed into the UK legal systems under
328-493: A superior form of law). The UK does not have a single legal system because it was created by the political union of previously independent countries. Article 19 of the Treaty of Union , put into effect by the Acts of Union in 1707, created the Kingdom of Great Britain but guaranteed the continued existence of Scotland's and England's separate legal systems. The Acts of Union of 1800 , which joined Great Britain and Ireland into
369-481: Is a substantial overlap between these three legal systems and the three legal jurisdictions. Unlike the other three, Welsh law is not a separate legal system per se , merely the primary and secondary legislation generated by the Senedd , interpreted in accordance with the doctrines of English law and not impacting upon English common law (except where such Welsh legislation ousts a common law rule by virtue of being
410-700: Is not generally considered a fourth jurisdiction of the United Kingdom. This is because the judiciary and the courts follow England and Wales law, which is made by the Parliament at Westminster , and is not specific to Wales. Although Welsh law is recognised as separate in operation, this is not sufficient for Wales to constitute a separate legal jurisdiction. A commission set up in 2017 by the First Minister of Wales known as "The Commission on Justice in Wales" and chaired by Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd , looked into
451-585: Is possible in private law : for example, a company in Edinburgh , Scotland and a company in Belfast , Northern Ireland are free to contract using English law. This is not so in public law (for example, criminal law), where there are set rules of procedure in each jurisdiction. Although Scotland and Northern Ireland form part of the United Kingdom and share Westminster as a primary legislature, they have separate legal systems. (Even though Scotland became part of
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#1732765347775492-472: The Corpus Juris Civilis , it also features elements of common law with medieval sources. Thus Scotland has a pluralistic , or 'mixed', legal system, comparable to that of South Africa , and, to a lesser degree, the partly codified pluralistic systems of Louisiana and Quebec . Since the formation of the Kingdom of Great Britain under the 1707 Acts of Union , Scots law has shared
533-577: The Bills of Exchange Act 1882 refers to the British Islands. Section 26(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 states: Information is exempt information if its disclosure under this Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the defence of the British Islands. The exclusive fishery limits of the British Islands were defined by section 28 of the Sea Fisheries Act 1883. This definition
574-622: The British Overseas Territories . The expression "British Islands" was formerly defined by section 18(1) of the Interpretation Act 1889 . This definition applied to the Interpretation Act 1889 itself, and to every act passed after the commencement of that act on 1 January 1890. Section 19 of the Lloyd's Signal Stations Act 1888 contained a definition of "British Islands". The Lloyd's Signal Stations Act 1888
615-911: The Manx passport , is a type of British passport issued by the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man , one of the Crown Dependencies associated with the United Kingdom , on behalf of the British sovereign under the Royal Prerogative , at the request of the Isle of Man Government , to British citizens and certain British subjects (only for those with the right of abode in the United Kingdom) resident in
656-466: The Treaty of Rome . Welsh law is the primary and secondary legislation generated by the Senedd , using the devolved authority granted in the Government of Wales Act 2006 , amended substantially by Wales Act 2014 and Wales Act 2017 , and in effect since May 2007. Each piece of Welsh legislation is known as an Act of Senedd Cymru . As there is no criminal law within contemporary Welsh law, Wales
697-459: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , contained no equivalent provisions but preserved the principle of different courts to be held in Ireland, of which the part called Northern Ireland continues to follow as part of the United Kingdom. Each legal system defaults to its jurisdiction, each of whose courts further that law through jurisprudence . Choice of which jurisdiction's law to use
738-558: The legal system administered by the courts in England and Wales, which rule on both civil and criminal matters. English and Welsh law is based on the principles of common law . English and Welsh law can be described as having its own legal doctrine, distinct from civil law legal systems since 1189. There has been no major codification of the law, rather the law is developed by judges in court , applying statute , precedent and case-by-case reasoning to give explanatory judgments of
779-669: The Government and delegated legislation. Before the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom was created in October 2009, the highest appellate body was the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords , usually just referred to as "The House of Lords ". After the Acts of Union, in 1707 English law became one of two legal systems in different parts of the same United Kingdom and has been influenced by Scots law, most notably in
820-560: The Isle of Man Government had an endorsement included to the following effect: holder is not entitled to benefit from European Community Provisions relating to employment or establishment This appeared when a British citizen passport holder was born or naturalised in either the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands and had no connection through residency (defined as five consecutive years) or descent (a UK-born parent or grandparent) to
861-400: The Isle of Man are slightly different from regular United Kingdom passports. Passports printed from 5 April 2019 do not include the words 'European Union' on the front cover. Because the Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom, its passports do not carry the words United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on the front cover, nor on the biodata page. In their place, they have
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#1732765347775902-492: The Isle of Man, or who have certain qualifying important connections to the Isle of Man but are currently resident in the United Kingdom. British passports pursuant to applications received in, from or through the Isle of Man are printed centrally by HM Passport Office of the Home Office in the United Kingdom, and are dispatched by post directly from one of their printing centres to applicants. British passports issued for
943-672: The Northern Ireland Crown Court. Below that are county courts and magistrates' courts. The Supreme Court is the highest court in the land for both criminal and civil appeal cases in Northern Ireland and any decision it makes is binding on every other court in the same jurisdiction and often has persuasive effect in its other jurisdictions. Scots law is a unique legal system with an ancient basis in Roman law . Grounded in uncodified civil law dating back to
984-475: The UK over 300 years ago, Scots law has remained remarkably distinct from English law). The UK's highest civil appeal court is the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom , whose decisions are binding on all three UK jurisdictions, as in Donoghue v Stevenson , a Scots case that forms the basis of the UK's law of negligence . "Great Britain" means England, Wales, Scotland, their adjacent territorial waters and
1025-535: The UK parliament's law-making power. Upon Brexit , EU law was transplanted into domestic law as " retained EU law ", though the UK remained temporarily in alignment with EU regulations during the transition period from 31 January to 31 December 2020. There are three distinct legal jurisdictions in the United Kingdom: England and Wales , Northern Ireland and Scotland . Each has its own legal system , distinct history and origins, although there
1066-607: The United Kingdom , instead of The Arms of His Majesty in Right of the Isle of Man . The Isle of Man transitioned to issuing the new blue-covered passports in 2020. HM Passport Office of the British Home Office allows the Isle of Man Government to accept and process applications for the Isle of Man variant of the British passport from: Prior to the UK's withdrawal from the European Union, some passports issued by
1107-550: The United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The first schedule of the Interpretation Act 1978 , defines the following terms: "British Islands", "England", and "United Kingdom". The use of the term " British Isles " is virtually obsolete in statutes and, when it does appear, it is taken to be synonymous with "British Islands". For interpretation purposes, England includes a number of specified elements: English and Welsh law (or just English law ) refers to
1148-562: The United Kingdom. This endorsement results from Protocol 3 to the UK's Act of Accession to the European Community, which defined the relationship between the Isle of Man and what became the European Union. The Protocol defined the term "Manxman" specifically to mean a person connected by birth or naturalisation with the Isle of Man who has no connection to the UK, which is different from the term's usual, wider meaning. The Protocol meant that those defined as Manxmen did not have
1189-513: The commencement of this Act, includes the Republic of Ireland . The Irish Free State was established on 6 December 1922 and the Interpretation Act 1978 came into force on 1 January 1979. The Interpretation Act 1978 applies to itself and to any act passed after the commencement of that act and, to the extent specified in part I of schedule 2, to acts passed before the commencement of that act. This definition of "British Islands" does not include
1230-422: The development and integration of the law merchant by Lord Mansfield and in time the development of the law of negligence . Scottish influence may have influenced the abolition of the forms of action in the nineteenth century and extensive procedural reforms in the twentieth. Since the accession of the United Kingdom to the European Communities in 1973, English law has also been affected by European law under
1271-478: The following paragraph: "British Islands" means the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Subject to paragraph 4(2) of Schedule 2, that paragraph of Schedule 1 applies, so far as applicable, to Acts passed after the year 1889. Paragraph 4(2) provides: The definition of "British Islands", in its application to Acts passed after the establishment of the Irish Free State but before
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1312-630: The highest court in the land for both criminal and civil appeal cases in England and Wales (also in Northern Ireland cases and civil cases in Scots law) and any decision it makes is binding on every other court in the same jurisdiction, and often has persuasive effect in its other jurisdictions. On appeal, a court may overrule the decisions of its inferior courts, such as county courts (civil) and magistrates' courts (criminal). The High Court may also quash on judicial review both administrative decisions of
1353-711: The islands of Orkney and Shetland , the Hebrides and, by virtue of the Island of Rockall Act 1972, Rockall . "United Kingdom" means Great Britain and Northern Ireland and their adjacent territorial waters, but not the Isle of Man , nor the Channel Islands , whose independent status was discussed in Rover International Ltd. v Canon Film Sales Ltd. (1987) and Chloride Industrial Batteries Ltd. v F. & W. Freight Ltd. (1989). " British Islands " – but not "British Isles" – means
1394-713: The law of Northern Ireland are Irish common law, and statute law. Of the latter, statutes of the Parliaments of Ireland , of the United Kingdom and of Northern Ireland are in force, and latterly statutes of the devolved Northern Ireland Assembly . The courts of Northern Ireland are headed by the Court of Judicature of Northern Ireland, consisting of the Northern Ireland Court of Appeal, the Northern Ireland High Court of Justice and
1435-400: The operation of justice in the country. Its aim was to further clarify the legal and political identity of Wales within the UK constitution. The commission's report was released in October 2019 and recommended the full devolution of the justice system. This would formalise Wales as the fourth jurisdiction of the UK. There have been multiple calls from both academics and politicians however for
1476-630: The relevant legal principles. These judgments are binding in future similar cases ( stare decisis ), and for this reason are often reported in law reports . The courts of England and Wales are headed by the Senior Courts of England and Wales , consisting of the Court of Appeal , the High Court of Justice (for civil cases) and the Crown Court (for criminal cases). The Supreme Court is
1517-456: The words European Union and Isle of Man previously appeared together on Isle of Man British citizen passports, even though the territory of the Isle of Man was not part of the European Union . This is because the bearer was perhaps a full British and European Union citizen, although an endorsement may have applied in the case of some citizens. The illustration shows the Royal coat of arms of
1558-431: The words Isle of Man on the front cover and British Islands: Isle of Man on the biodata page. The request inside the passport's front cover "to allow the bearer to pass freely" and to give "such assistance and protection as may be necessary" is made by the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man . In United Kingdom passports, this request is issued in the name of " His Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State ". Unusually,
1599-622: Was repealed by Schedule 2 to the Fishery Limits Act 1964. The fishery limits of the British Islands were defined by section 1(1) of the Fishery Limits Act 1964. This provision was repealed by the Fishery Limits Act 1976 . Francis Taylor Piggott said the effect of section 37 of the Fugitive Offenders Act 1881 was to make of the British Islands one coherent whole for the purposes of that Act. That Act
1640-900: Was repealed by Schedule 2 to the Fugitive Offenders Act 1967. The expression "British Islands" has been included on the covers of passports of the Isle of Man , passports of Guernsey and passports of Jersey . Law of the United Kingdom King Charles III [REDACTED] William, Prince of Wales [REDACTED] Charles III ( King-in-Council ) [REDACTED] Starmer ministry ( L ) Keir Starmer ( L ) Angela Rayner ( L ) ( King-in-Parliament ) [REDACTED] Charles III [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Lord Reed The Lord Hodge Andrew Bailey Monetary Policy Committee The United Kingdom has three distinctly different legal systems , each of which derives from
1681-654: Was repealed by the Lloyd's Act 1982 . Colonial statutes Section 5(2) of the Interpretation Ordinance, 1891 of British Guiana contained a definition of "British Islands". Section 2 of the Interpretation Ordinance (c 2) (1953) of British Honduras contained a definition of "British Islands". Section 28(ii) of the Interpretation and Common Form Ordinance, 1903 of the Seychelles contained