Navy and Marines (Wills) Act 1953

1953 CHAPTER 24

An Act to amend the law with respect to the operation of wills made by members of the naval and marine forces; and for purposes connected therewith.

[14th July 1953]

Be it enacted by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

1 Repeal of certain special provisions regulating the wills of seamen and marines.

(1) Section five of the [28 & 29 Vict. c. 72.] Navy and Marines (Wills) Act, 1865 (which regulates the operation of wills made by seamen and marines in respect of wages and other property described in that section) and section six of that Act (which makes special provisions as to wills made by seamen and marines while prisoners of war) shall cease to have effect; and accordingly the whole of that Act, the [20 & 21 Geo. 5. c. 38.] Navy and Marines (Wills) Act, 1930, and the [2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 87.] Navy and Marines (Wills) Act, 1939, are hereby repealed.

(2) The foregoing provisions of this section shall not apply to the will of any person who has died before the commencement of this Act, nor render invalid any will made before the commencement of this Act which would be valid apart from those provisions; and so much of the said section five as relates to the admission to probate in England (in respect of property described in that section) of wills made by seamen and marines in conformity with that section, and to representation under such wills, shall apply in relation to any will so made before the commencement of this Act as if that section had not been repealed.

2 Short title, commencement and extent.

(1) This Act may be cited as the Navy and Marines (Wills) Act, 1953.

(2) This Act shall come into operation one month after the date on which it is passed.

(3) It is hereby declared that this Act extends to Northern Ireland.