Canada assumed progressively greater control over its foreign relations during and after World War I, and its full autonomy in this field was confirmed by the Statute of Westminster in 1931.
Westminster | Westminster Abbey | Statute Law Revision Act 1948 | Palace of Westminster | Statute Law Revision Act 1888 | Westminster School | City of Westminster | University of Westminster | Statute Law Revision Act 1863 | New Westminster | Westminster, Maryland | Westminster Hospital | Westminster College | Statute Law Revision Act 1887 | Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster | Westminster Cathedral | Westminster Bridge | Statute Law Revision Act 1867 | Westminster Choir College | Statute of Westminster 1931 | Statute Law Revision Act 1950 | Alien Tort Statute | statute | Westminster College (Pennsylvania) | Westminster City Council | Westminster, California | Westminster Assembly | Statute of Westminster | Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster | Westminster Quarters |
In 1931, the British Parliament enacted the Statute of Westminster, 1931.
At the 1930 Imperial Conference, the conclusions of the conference were re-stated, and Sir Thomas Sidey obtained a clause exempting New Zealand from the Statute of Westminster until such time as it should be ratified by the Parliament of New Zealand.
•
Control over defence, constitutional amendments, and (partially) foreign affairs remained with the British government until the Statute of Westminster was adopted.
•
Preferring the United Kingdom to handle most of its foreign affairs and defence, New Zealand held back from adopting the Statute of Westminster Act, and, 16 years later, was the last dominion listed in the Statute to do so.
Knutson held the belief that the 1931 Statute of Westminster, which granted legislative equality with the United Kingdom to Canada, also granted sovereignty to the provinces, because the provinces had not individually signed on to confederation.
With the 1931 Statute of Westminster, the complete independence of the Dominions was confirmed by the British Parliament, though this was not adopted in New Zealand until some time later, through the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1947.
The Statute of Westminster 1472 was an Act of Edward IV of England requiring a tax of four bow staves per tun of cargo to be provided by each ship arriving at an English Port.