Part 1
Changes to legislation: There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial
team to Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961. Any changes that have already been made by the
team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. (See end of Document for details)
Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961
1961 CHAPTER 16 9 and 10 Eliz 2
An Act to make provision for, and in connection with, the attainment by Sierra Leone
of fully responsible status within the Commonwealth. [28th March 1961]
1 Provision for the fully responsible status of Sierra Leone.
(1) On the twenty-seventh day of April, nineteen hundred and sixty-one (in this Act
referred to as “the appointed day”), the Sierra Leone Colony and the Sierra Leone
Protectorate (of which the combined area is that specified in the First Schedule to
this Act) shall together constitute part of Her Majesty’s dominions under the name of
Sierra Leone.
(2) No Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed on or after the appointed day
shall extend, or be deemed to extend, to Sierra Leone as part of the law thereof, and
as from that day—
(a) Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom shall have no
responsibility for the government of Sierra Leone; and
(b) the provisions of the Second Schedule to this Act shall have effect with respect
to legislative powers in Sierra Leone.
(3) Without prejudice to subsection (2) of this section, nothing in subsection (1) thereof
shall affect the operation in Sierra Leone or any part thereof on and after the appointed
day of any enactment, or any other instrument having the effect of law, passed or made
with respect thereto before that day.
2 Consequential modifications of British Nationality Acts.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F1
F1 S. 2 repealed by British Nationality Act 1981 (c. 61, SIF 87), Sch. 9
2 Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961 (c. 16)
Changes to legislation: There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial
team to Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961. Any changes that have already been made by the
team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. (See end of Document for details)
3 Consequential modification of other enactments.
(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F2
(2) As from the appointed day—
(a) the expression “colony” in the M1Army Act 1955, the M2Air Force Act 1955,
and the M3Naval Discipline Act 1957, shall not include Sierra Leone or any
part thereof; and
(b) in the definitions of “Commonwealth force” in subsection (1) of section
two hundred and twenty-five and subsection (1) of section two hundred and
twenty-three respectively of the said Acts of 1955, and in the definition of
“Commonwealth country” in subsection (1) of section one hundred and thirtyfive of the said Act of 1957—
(i) the word “or” (being, in the said Acts of 1955, that word in the last
place where it occurs in those definitions) shall be omitted; and
(ii) at the end there shall be added the words “or Sierra Leone”.
(3) As from the appointed day, the provisions specified in the Third Schedule to this Act
shall have effect subject to the amendments respectively specified in that Schedule, . . .
F3
Provided that this subsection shall not extend to Sierra Leone or any part thereof as
part of the law thereof.
F2 S. 3(1) repealed by Interpretation Act 1978 (c. 30, SIF 115:1), Sch. 3
F3 Words repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1969 (c. 52), Sch. Pt. VI
C1 The text of s. 3(2)(a), Sch. 3 para. 7(a) is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not
reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been
M1 1955 c. 18.
M2 1955 c. 19.
M3 1957 c. 53.
4 Short title and interpretation.
(1) This Act may be cited as the Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961.
(2) References in this Act to any enactment are references to that enactment as amended
or extended by or under any other enactment.
Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961 (c. 16)
FIRST SCHEDULE – Area included in Sierra Leone
Changes to legislation: There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial
team to Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961. Any changes that have already been made by the
team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. (See end of Document for details)
S C H E D U L E S
FIRST SCHEDULE Section 1.
AREA INCLUDED IN SIERRA LEONE
The area in West Africa lying between the sixth and tenth degrees of north latitude and the
tenth and fourteenth degrees of west longitude and bounded on the north by the boundary line
delimited under the provisions of the Anglo-French Convention dated the twenty-eighth day of
June, 1882, the Anglo-French Arrangement dated the tenth day of August, 1889, the Anglo-
French Agreement dated the twenty-first day of January, 1895, and the notes exchanged between
His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador of the French
Republic, and dated the sixth day of July, 1911, and on the south by the Anglo-Liberian boundary
line delimited under the provisions of the Anglo-Liberian Conventions dated the eleventh day
of November, 1885, and the twenty-first day of January, 1911.
SECOND SCHEDULE Section 1.
LEGISLATIVE POWERS IN SIERRA LEONE
1 The M4Colonial Laws Validity Act 1865, shall not apply to any law made on or after
the appointed day by the legislature of Sierra Leone.
M4 1865 c. 63.
2 No law and no provision of any law made on or after the appointed day by that
legislature shall be void or inoperative on the ground that it is repugnant to the
law of England, or to the provisions of any Act of the Parliament of the United
Kingdom, including this Act, or to any order, rule or regulation made under any
such Act, and, subject to paragraph 6 of this Schedule, the powers of that legislature
shall include the power to repeal or amend any such Act, order, rule or regulation
in so far as it is part of the law of Sierra Leone or any part thereof.
3 The said legislature shall have full power to make laws having extra-territorial
operation.
F44 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F4 Sch. 2 para. 4 repealed (1.1.1996) by 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(1), 316(2), Sch. 12 (with ss. 312(1), Sch. 14
para. 1)
4 Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961 (c. 16)
Changes to legislation: There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial
team to Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961. Any changes that have already been made by the
team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. (See end of Document for details)
5 Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing provisions of this Schedule,
section four of the M5Colonial Courts of Admiralty Act 1890 (which requires certain
laws to be reserved for the signification of Her Majesty’s pleasure or to contain a
suspending clause) and so much of section seven of that Act as requires the approval
of Her Majesty in Council to any rules of court for regulating the practice and
procedure of a Colonial Court of Admiralty shall cease to have effect in Sierra
Leone.
M5 1890 c. 27.
6 Nothing in this Act shall confer on the legislature of Sierra Leone any power
to repeal, amend or modify the constitutional provisions otherwise than in such
manner as may be provided for in those provisions.
his paragraph, the expression “the constitutional provisions” means this Act, any
Order in Council made before the appointed day which revokes Parts II to VI of
the M6Sierra Leone (Constitution) Order in Council, 1958, and the Sierra Leone
Protectorate Orders in Council, 1951 to 1960, and any law, or instrument made
under a law, of the legislature of Sierra Leone made on or after that day which
amends, modifies, re-enacts with or without amendment or modification, or makes
different provision in lieu of, any of the provisions of this Act, that Order in Council
or any such law or instrument previously made.
M6 S.I. 1958 No. 1259
THIRD SCHEDULE Section 3.
AMENDMENTS NOT AFFECTING LAW OF SIERRA LEONE
Diplomatic immunities
1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F5
F5 Sch. 3 para. 1 repealed by Finance Act 1969 (c. 32), Sch. 21 Pt. IX
2 In subsection (6) of section one of the Diplomatic Immunities (Commonwealth
Countries and Republic of Ireland) Act, 1952, immediately before the word “and”
in the last place where it occurs there shall be inserted the words “Sierra Leone”.
Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961 (c. 16)
Changes to legislation: There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial
team to Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961. Any changes that have already been made by the
team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. (See end of Document for details)
C2 The text of Sch. 3 paras. 2, 4, 8, 9, 16 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not
reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been
3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F6
F6 Sch. 3 para. 3 repealed by International Organisations Act 1981 (c. 9, SIF 68:1), Sch.
Financial
4 In section two of the Import Duties Act, 1958, in subsection (4), after the word
“Nyasaland” there shall be inserted the words “Sierra Leone”.
C3 The text of Sch. 3 paras. 2, 4, 8, 9, 16 is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not
reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been
5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F7
F7 Sch. 3 para. 5 repealed by Trustee Investments Act 1961 (c. 62), Sch. 5
Visiting forces
6 In the M7Visiting Forces (British Commonwealth) Act 1933, section four (which
deals with attachment and mutual powers of command) and the definition of
“visiting force” for the purposes of that act which is contained in section eight
thereof shall apply in relation to forces raised in Sierrra Leone as they apply in
relation to forces raised in Dominions within the meaning of the M8Statute of
Westminster 1931.
M7 1933 c. 6.
M8 1931 c. 4 (22 & 23 Geo. 5).
7 In the M9Visiting Forces Act 1952—
6 Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961 (c. 16)
Changes to legislation: There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial
team to Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961. Any changes that have already been made by the
team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. (See end of Document for details)
(a) in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section one (which specifies the
countries to which that Act applies) the word “or” in the first place where
it occurs shall be omitted, and at the end there shall be added the words
“Sierra Leone or”;
(b) in paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section ten the expression “colony”
shall not include Sierra Leone or any part thereof;
until express provision with respect to Sierra Leone is made by an Order in Council
under section eight of that Act (which relates to the application to visiting forces
of law relating to home forces), any such Order for the time being in force shall be
deemed to apply to visiting forces of Sierra Leone.
C4 The text of s. 3(2)(a), Sch. 3 para. 7(a) is in the form in which it was originally enacted: it was not
reproduced in Statutes in Force and does not reflect any amendments or repeals which may have been
M9 1952 c. 67.
Ships and aircraft
F88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F8 Sch. 3 para. 8 repealed (1.1.1996) by 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(1), 316(2), Sch. 12 (with ss. 312(1), Sch. 14
para. 1)
F99 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F9 Sch. 3 para. 9 repealed (1.1.1996) by 1995 c. 21, ss. 314(1), 316(2), Sch. 12 (with ss. 312(1), Sch. 14
para. 1)
10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F10
F10 Sch. 3 para. 10 repealed by Emergency Laws (Re-enactments and Repeals) Act 1964 (c. 60), Sch. 2
11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F11
Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961 (c. 16)
Changes to legislation: There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial
team to Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961. Any changes that have already been made by the
team appear in the content and are referenced with annotations. (See end of Document for details)
F11 Sch. 3 para. 11 repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1977 (c. 18), Sch. 1 Pt. XV
12 In the M10Whaling Industry (Regulation) Act 1934, the expression “British ship to
which this Act applies” shall not include a British ship registered in Sierra Leone.
M10 1934 c. 49.
Copyright
13, 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F12
F12 Sch. 3 paras. 13, 14 repealed by Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (c. 48, SIF 67A), s. 303(2),
Sch. 8
15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F13
F13 Sch. 3 para. 15 repealed by Family Law Act 1986 (c. 55, SIF 49:3), s. 68(2), Sch. 2
Commonwealth Institute
F1416 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
F14 Sch. 3 para. 16 repealed (7.1.2003) by 2002 c. 39, ss. 3, 4(2), Sch. 3
8 Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961 (c. 16)
Changes to legislation:
There are outstanding changes not yet made by the legislation.gov.uk editorial team to Sierra
Leone Independence Act 1961. Any changes that have already been made by the team appear in
the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to :
– s. 3(2) repealed by 2006 c. 52 Sch. 17
Commencement Orders yet to be applied to the Sierra Leone Independence Act 1961
Commencement Orders bringing legislation that affects this Act into force:
– S.I. 2009/812 art. 3 commences (2006 c. 52)
– S.I. 2009/1059 Order transitional provisions for effects of commencing SI 2009/812
– S.I. 2009/1167 art. 3 4 commences (2006 c. 52)