22 August 1934
Status of the Union Act affirms legislative sovereignty
The Status of the Union Act declared the Union Parliament to be South Africa's sovereign legislative power and incorporated the applicable parts of the Statute of Westminster into South African law.
View in timelineThe Statute of Westminster of 1931 gave legislative effect to the equal status of Britain and the self-governing Dominions. South Africa’s Parliament followed with the Status of the Union Act, which received royal assent on 22 June and was published and principally commenced on 22 August 1934.
The Act declared the Union Parliament the sovereign legislative authority in South Africa. Future Acts of the British Parliament would form part of South African law only when extended by an Act of the Union Parliament. It also provided that the King exercised executive authority concerning South Africa on the advice of South African ministers.
The constitutional settlement retained the monarchy, Governor-General and parliamentary system. It confirmed South Africa’s autonomy as a Dominion rather than changing the country into a republic.
Significance
The Act marks the principal legislative step between the self-governing Union created in 1910 and the republican constitution introduced in 1961.
Why it matters
The Act confirmed the Union's legislative and executive autonomy within the Commonwealth while retaining the monarchy and the constitutional structure created at Union.