Trinidad and Tobago Independence Act 1962

1962 c.54

An Act to make provision for, and in connection with, the attainment by Trinidad and Tobago of fully responsible status within the Commonwealth.

1 Provision for fully responsible status of Trinidad and Tobago.

1

As from the thirty-first day of August, nineteen hundred and sixty-two (in this Act referred to as “the appointed day”), Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom shall have no responsibility for the government of Trinidad and Tobago.

2

No Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed on or after the appointed day shall extend, or be deemed to extend, to Trinidad and Tobago as part of the law thereof; and as from that day the provisions of the First Schedule to this Act shall have effect with respect to the legislative powers of Trinidad and Tobago.

2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1

3 Consequential modification of other enactments.

1

. . . F2

F152

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3

For the purposes of the making, on or after the appointed day, of Orders in Council under the M1West Indies Act 1962 and for the purposes of the making on or after that day of grants under section eight of that Act, Trinidad and Tobago shall be treated as not being a colony within the meaning of that Act.

4

As from the appointed day, the provisions specified in the Second Schedule to this Act shall have effect subject to the amendments respectively specified in that Schedule, . . . F3

5

Subsection (4) of this section shall not extend to Trinidad and Tobago as part of the law thereof.

4 Interpretation.

1

In this Act, and in any amendment made by this Act in any other enactment, “Trinidad and Tobago” means the Island of Trinidad, the Island of Tobago and any territories which at the passing of this Act are dependencies of the Colony of Trinidad and Tobago.

2

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

5 Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Trinidad and Tobago Independence Act 1962.

SCHEDULES

FIRST SCHEDULE Legislative Powers of Trinidad and Tobago

1

The M2Colonial Laws Validity Act 1865 shall not apply to any law made on or after the appointed day by the legislature of Trinidad and Tobago.

2

No law and no provision of any law made on or after the appointed day by that legislature shall be void or inoperative on the ground that it is repungnant to the law of England, or to the provisions of any Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, including this Act, or to any order, rule or regulation made under any such Act, and, subject to paragraph 6 of this Schedule, the powers of that legislature shall include the power to repeal or amend any such Act, order, rule or regulation in so far as it is part of the law of Trinidad and Tobago

3

The legislature of Trinidad and Tobago shall have full power to make laws having extra-territorial operation.

F44

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5

Without prejudice to the generality of the preceding provisions of this Schedule, section four of the M3Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act 1890 (which requires certain laws to be reserved for the signification of Her Majesty’s pleasure or to contain a suspending clause) and so much of section seven of that Act as requires the approval of Her Majesty in Council to any rules of court for regulating the practice and procedure of a Colonial Court of Admiralty, shall cease to have effect in Trinidad and Tobago.

6

1

Nothing in this Act shall confer on the legislature of Trinidad and Tobago any power to repeal, amend or modify the constitutional provisions otherwise than in such manner as may be provided for in those provisions.

2

In this paragraph “the constitutional provisions” means the following, that is to say—

a

this Act;

b

any Order in Council made before the appointed day (whether before or after the passing of this Act) which made or makes provision in respect of Trinidad and Tobago in pursuance of section five of the M4West Indies Act 1962;

c

any law, or instrument made under a law, of the legislature of Trinidad and Tobago made on or after the appointed day which amends, modifies, re-enacts with or without amendment or modification, or makes different provision in lieu of, any provisions of this Act, of any such Order in Council, or of any such law or instrument previously made.

SECOND SCHEDULE Amendments not affecting the Law of Trinidad and Tobago

Diplomatic immunities

1

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F5

C12

In subsection (6) of section one of the M5Diplomatic Immunities (Commonwealth Countries and Republic of Ireland) Act, 1952, before the word “and” in the last place where it occurs there shall be inserted the words “Trinidad and Tobago”.

Annotations:
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1

The text of Sch. 2 para.2 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and it does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

Marginal Citations

3

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6

Financial

C24

In subsection (4) of section two of the M6Import Duties Act, 1958, after the word “Tanganyika” there shall be inserted the words “Trinidad and Tobago”.

Annotations:
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C2

The text of Sch. 2 para. 4 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and it does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

Marginal Citations

Visiting forces

5

In the M7Visiting Forces (British Commonwealth) Act 1933, section four (which deals with attachment and mutual powers of command) shall apply in relation to forces raised on Trinidad and Tobago as it applies in relation to forces raised in Dominions within the meaning of the M8Statute of Westminster 1931.

6

In the M9Visiting Forces Act 1952—

C3a

in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section one (which specifies the countries to which that Act applies) at the end there shall be added the words “Trinidad and Tobago, or”;

b

in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section ten the expression “colony” shall not include Trinidad and Tobago;

and, until express provision with respect to Trinidad and Tobago is made by an Order in Council under section eight of that Act (which relates to the application to visiting forces of law relating to home forces), any such Order for the time being in force shall be deemed to apply to visiting forces of Trinidad and Tobago.

Annotations:
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C3

The text of Sch. 2 para. 6(a)is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and it does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

Marginal Citations

Ships and aircraft

F7C47

In subsection (2) of section four hundred and twenty-seven of the M10Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, as substituted by section two of the M11Merchant Shipping (Safety Convention) Act, 1949, before the words “or in any” there shall be inserted the words or “Trinidad and Tobago”.

Annotations:
Amendments (Textual)
F7

By 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(1), 316(2), Sch. 12, it is provided (1.1.1996) that Sch. 3 paras. 7 and 8 are repealed.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C4

The text of Sch. 2 para. 7 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and it does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

Marginal Citations

F8C58

In the proviso to subsection (2) of section six of the M12Merchant Shipping Act, 1948, at the end there shall be added the words “Trinidad and Tobago”.

Annotations:
Amendments (Textual)
F8

By 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(1), 316(2), Sch. 12, it is provided (1.1.1996) that Sch. 3 para. 7 and 8 are repealed

Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C5

The text of Sch. 2 para. 8 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not reproduced in Statutes in Force and it does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been made prior to 1.2.1991.

Marginal Citations

9

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F9

10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10

11

In the M13Whaling Industry (Regulation) Act 1934 the expression “British ship to which this Act applies” shall not include a British ship registered in Trinidad and Tobago.

12

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11

Commonwealth Institute

F1415

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .