THE CONTENT OF THE LEGISLATION
SECRET
4. The following aspects of these arrangements requiring UK legislation have been identified:
(a) the termination of sovereignty over the ceded territories with effect from 1 July 1997;
(b)
amendment of the British Nationality Act 1981 to create a new status for British Dependent Territory citizens who enjoy that status by right of their connexion with Hong Kong;
(c) modification of United Kingdom enactments consequent upon termination of United Kingdom sovereignty;
these would
be mainly the technical modifications customarily made in Independence Acts, often in a schedule, when a territory ceases to be a dependent territory of the UK. They are on topics such as visiting forces, ships and aircraft and copyright. The main effect of them is to modify the law in the United Kingdom and they should not be controversial. would be possible to extend this power, if necessary to bring to an end appeals to the Privy Council and terminate pending
cases;
It
(d)
possibly, modification of UK Statutes to allow the implementation, even before 1997, of transitional measures agreed in the Joint Liaison Group envisaged in the agreement or otherwise thought desirable. The transitional measures might include provisions which were not consistent with Westminster statutes which have worldwide application on matters such as aircraft and shipping.
SECRET
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