British Islands


The British Islands is a term within the law of the United Kingdom which since 1889 has referred 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 a collective term for the combined territories. Dating back to 1889, 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.

Passports

s issued in the UK have the wording "United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland" on their cover. In the Crown dependencies, this is replaced by "British Islands – Bailiwick of Jersey", "British Islands – Bailiwick of Guernsey" or "British Islands – Isle of Man". These passports are issued to all British citizens resident in the jurisdiction in question.

Legal basis

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 the following paragraph:
Subject to paragraph 4 of Schedule 2, that paragraph of Schedule 1 applies, so far as applicable, to Acts passed after the year 1889.
Paragraph 4 provides:

Irish Free State

The Irish Free State was established on 6 December 1922 and the Interpretation Act 1978 came into force on 1 January 1979. With effect from the Ireland Act 1949, British law recognised that the Republic of Ireland had ceased to be a Dominion and/or member of the Commonwealth of Nations but that it would not be treated as a foreign country for the purposes of British law.