Commonwealth Secretariat Act 1966
Encyclopedia
The Commonwealth Secretariat Act 1966 was an act
of the Parliament
of the United Kingdom
that established the legal character of the Secretariat
of the Commonwealth of Nations
. The act granted the Secretariat full legal immunity
. It was applied retroactively to 1 July 1965, when the Secretariat was constituted.
Until the International Organisations Act 2005
, the act did not grant employees of the Secretariat exemption from paying income tax, but this was granted with the passage of the later act.
Act of Parliament
An Act of Parliament is a statute enacted as primary legislation by a national or sub-national parliament. In the Republic of Ireland the term Act of the Oireachtas is used, and in the United States the term Act of Congress is used.In Commonwealth countries, the term is used both in a narrow...
of the Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
that established the legal character of the Secretariat
Commonwealth Secretariat
The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for facilitating cooperation between members; organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings ; assisting and advising on policy...
of the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
. The act granted the Secretariat full legal immunity
Immunity from prosecution (international law)
Immunity from prosecution is a doctrine of international law that allows an accused to avoid prosecution for criminal offences. Immunities are of two types. The first is functional immunity, or immunity ratione materiae. This is an immunity granted to people who perform certain functions of...
. It was applied retroactively to 1 July 1965, when the Secretariat was constituted.
Until the International Organisations Act 2005
International Organisations Act 2005
The International Organisations Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to enable the United Kingdom to fulfil a number of international commitments.-Section 2 - Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal:...
, the act did not grant employees of the Secretariat exemption from paying income tax, but this was granted with the passage of the later act.