10.
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Moreover, apart from protection and consular
istance, there is no unanimity of legal opinion as to
the obligations assumed by a State towards its nationals,
and particularly in respect of admission to that State in
all circumstances. In advising that there would be no legal
objection to the inclusion of the description 'British
national' (a term which together with 'UK national' is already
mentioned in the notes in the back of passports on Registration and
Dual Nationality) in the passports of BDTCs, our legal advisers
pointed out that any formula should avoid the risk of
confusion between international and domestic law statuses.
This distinction would be difficult in passport practice,
which requires uniformity in the general format and as
between all British nationals if we are to avoid
controversy as a result.
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11. Any change has to take account of the fact that the
right of abode will from 1983 be directly linked to
British citizenship, and that we are in frequent dispute
at Strasbourg over refusals to admit nationals to the UK.
Our obligations to British nationals will vary according
to the different categories established by the new Act.
Further, the generic term 'British subject' which is the
basis of British nationality, will no longer exist as such
the under now new Act. It is therefore necessary to avoid any
impression that 'British national' takes its place as a
citizenship category.
t
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12. On the other hand we have not ratified the 1963
Protocol Number 4 to the Council of Europe Convention on
Human Rights because it guarantees the right of an
individual to enter the territory of the State of which he
/is
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