Lesotho Independence Act 1966

1 Establishment of Kingdom of Lesotho

On 4th October 1966 (in this Act referred to as "the appointed day") the territory which immediately before that day constitutes the Colony of Basutoland shall cease to form part of Her Majesty's dominions and shall become an independent kingdom under the name of Lesotho.

2 Operation of existing law

(1) Subject to the following provisions of this Act, on and after the appointed day all law which, whether being a rule of law or a provision of an Act of Parliament or of any other enactment or instrument whatsoever, is in force on that day or has been passed or made before that day and comes into force thereafter, shall, unless and until provision to the contrary is made by Parliament or some other authority having power in that behalf, have the same operation in relation to Lesotho, and persons and things belonging to or connected with Lesotho, as it would have apart from this subsection if on the appointed day Basutoland had been renamed Lesotho but there had been no change in its status.

(2) Part I of the Schedule to this Act (which relates to enactments applicable to Commonwealth countries having fully responsible status) and Part II of that Schedule (which relates to enactments excepted from the operation of the preceding subsection) shall have effect on and after the appointed day in relation to the enactments therein mentioned ; but that Schedule shall not extend to Lesotho as part of its law.

(3) Subsection (1) of this section applies to law of, or of any part of, the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, and, in relation only to any enactment of the Parliament of the United Kingdom or any Order in Council made by virtue of any such enactment whereby any such enactment applies in relation to Basutoland, to law of any other country or territory to which that enactment or Order extends.

(4) For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that nothing in this section is to be construed as continuing in force any enactment or rule of law which would limit or restrict the legislative powers of Lesotho.

3 Consequential modifications of British Nationality Acts

(1) On and after the appointed day the British Nationality Acts 1948 to 1965 shall have effect as if in section 1(3) of the [1948 c. 56.] British Nationality Act 1948 (Commonwealth countries having separate citizenship) there were added at the end the words " and Lesotho ".

(2) Except as provided by section 4 of this Act, any person who immediately before the appointed day is a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall on that day cease to be such a citizen if he becomes on that day a citizen of Lesotho.

(3) Section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1948 (registration as citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies of women who have been married to such citizens) shall not apply to a woman by virtue of her marriage to a person who on the appointed day ceases to be such a citizen under subsection (2) of this section, or who would have done so if living on the appointed day.

4 Retention of citizenship of United Kingdom and Colonies by certain citizens of Lesotho

(1) Subject to subsection (5) of this section a person shall not cease to be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies under section 3(2) of this Act if he, his father or his father's father—

(a) was born in the United Kingdom or in a colony; or

(b) is or was a person naturalised in the United Kingdom and Colonies; or

(c) was registered as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies; or

(d) became a British subject by reason of the annexation of any territory included in a colony.

(2) A person shall not cease to be a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies under the said section 3(2) if either—

(a) he was born in a protectorate or protected state, or

(b) his father or his father's father was so born and is or at any time was a British subject.

(3) A woman who is the wife of a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall not cease to be such a citizen under the said section 3(2) unless her husband does so.

(4) Subject to subsection (5) of this section, the reference in subsection (1)(b) of this section to a person naturalised in the United Kingdom and Colonies shall include a person who would, if living immediately before the commencement of the [1948 c. 56.] British Nationality Act 1948, have become a person naturalised in the United Kingdom and Colonies by virtue of section 32(6) of that Act (persons given local naturalisation in a colony or protectorate before the commencement of that Act).

(5) Any reference in this section to a colony, a protectorate or a protected state is a reference to a territory which is a colony, a protectorate or a protected state, as the case may be, within the meaning of the British Nationality Act 1948, on the appointed day, and accordingly does not include a reference to Lesotho; and subsection (1) of this section shall not apply to a person by virtue of any certificate of naturalisation granted or registration effected by the governor or government of a territory outside the United Kingdom which is not such a colony, protectorate or protected state on the appointed day.

(6) Part III of the British Nationality Act 1948 (supplemental provisions) shall have effect for the purposes of this section as if this section were included in that Act.

5 Judicial Committee of Privy Council

(1) Her Majesty may by Order in Council confer on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council such jurisdiction and powers in respect of appeals from any court having jurisdiction under the law of Lesotho, and in respect of any proceedings concerning judges of any such court, as may be specified in, or determined in accordance with any provisions contained in, the Order in Council.

(2) Any Order in Council under this section may contain such incidental and supplemental provisions as appear to Her Majesty to be expedient.

(3) Except so far as otherwise provided by or in accordance with an Order in Council under this section, and subject to such modifications as may be so provided, the [1833 c. 41.] Judicial Committee Act 1833 shall apply in relation to appeals and other proceedings in respect of which any jurisdiction is conferred under this section as it applies in relation to appeals to Her Majesty in Council.

(4) Provisions made in pursuance of this section may be included in any Order in Council revoking the Basutoland Order 1965.

(5) An Order in Council under this section may be made before, on or after the appointed day, and so much of any Order in Council as is made under this section may be varied or revoked by a further Order in Council whether made before, on or after that day; but any Order in Council made under this section on or after the appointed day shall not extend to Lesotho as part of its law.

6 Pending appeals to Her Majesty in Council

(1) Without prejudice to any power conferred by or under section 5 of this Act, Her Majesty may by Order in Council confer on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council such jurisdiction in respect of appeals to Her Majesty in Council from the Basutoland, Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland Court of Appeal, being appeals which are pending immediately before the appointed day, and in which the records have been registered in the Office of the Privy Council before that day, as appears to Her to be appropriate for giving effect to any arrangements to which this subsection applies.

(2) The preceding subsection applies to any arrangements—

(a) made before the appointed day between Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Government of Basutoland, or

(b) made on or after the appointed day between Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom and the Government of Lesotho,

for any such appeals to be continued before and disposed of by the said Committee.

(3) An Order in Council under this section may, if the arrangements so require, direct that any appeal continued before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council under this section shall abate on a date specified in the Order unless it has been heard by the Committee before that date; and an Order containing such a direction may contain provisions to facilitate the hearing of any such appeal before that date, including provisions as to the sittings of the said Committee and provisions for expediting the steps to be taken by the parties preliminary to the hearing of an appeal.

(4) An Order in Council under this section may determine the practice and procedure to be followed on any appeal continued before the said Committee under this section, and in particular may provide for the form of any report or recommendation to be made by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in the exercise of the jurisdiction conferred on that Committee under this section, and for its' transmission to such authority in Lesotho as may be specified in the Order.

(5) Except so far as otherwise provided by an Order in Council under this section, and subject to such modifications as may be so provided, the [1833 c. 41.] Judicial Committee Act 1833 shall apply in relation to appeals continued before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council under this section as it applied in relation to those appeals before the appointed day.

7 Provisions as to Orders in Council and other instruments

(1) An Order in Council or other instrument made under any Act of Parliament passed before the appointed day, other than this Act, which varies or revokes a previous Order in Council or instrument in consequence of the change in status of Basutoland taking effect on the appointed day, and any Order in Council under section 6 of this Act, may, if made after the appointed day, be made so as to take effect on the appointed day.

(2) An Order in Council under section 6 of this Act—

(a) may contain such transitional or other incidental or supplemental provisions as appear to Her Majesty to be necessary or expedient;

(b) may be varied or revoked by a subsequent Order in Council; and

(c) shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

8 Short title and interpretation

(1) This Act may be cited as the Lesotho Independence Act 1966.

(2) References in this Act to any enactment are references to that enactment as amended or extended by or under any other enactment.