TNAG-0901-FCO40-1111-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 132

(ii)

Irish_citizenship is not a "primary status" giving rise to the "secondary status" of British subjecthood as Ireland is not in the Commonwealth. By section 2 of the British Nationality Act 1948, however, an Irish citizen who was a British subject before the 1948 Act came into force was allowed to keep his British subjecthood by making a formal declaration.

(111) Sowe women have been registered as British subjects under

section 1 of the British Nationality Aut 1565. That section permitted the registration of women who had been married to British subjects without citizenship or to husbands who had British subjecthood under section 2 of the British Nationality Act 1948.

British protected persons

The term "British protected person" is applied to people associated with territories in which the Crown exercises jurisdiction while not claiming them as its sovereign possessions. Additionally, it continues to be applied to a few people associated with similar territories, once they have become independent, and to a very few people whose ancestors had that title conferred upon them in foreign countries where British communities were established. There are about 275.000 British protected persons, mainly in the British Solomon Islands.

Plural Nationality, Citizenship, Subjecthood and protected personage

The British Nationality Acts do not set out to prohibit or discourage the possession of more than one national status. A person may be at the same time a British protected person, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies and (therefore) a British subject.

III

PREVIOUS PROPOSALS FOR REFORM

With the objects of simplifying the present nationality law of the United Kingdom, and of making it compatible with modern conditions, the Government published in April, 1977 a Green Paper called "British Nationality Law: Discussion of Possible Changes" (Cmná. 6795). This paper suggested that the present citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies might be replaced by two citizenships one known as "Eritish citizenship" to designate those who have close ties with this country and on known as "British Overseas Citizenship", e status which would be held by the remainder of those people who are now citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies. It suggested that British Citizenship should be conferred, in general, on those citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who were born, naturalized or registered here (or in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man); on those who hold that citizenship by descent and have the right of entry; and on those citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies, British Protected Persons and British subjects without citizenship from present or former dependencies who have settled in this country for a specified period. It envisaged that only British Citizens should have the unqualified right of free entry to the United Kingdom. The Green Faper also contained various proposals for reforms affecting less numerous groups of citizens. In particular, it proposed that women as well as men