{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/section-43",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/section-43.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/61",
  "legislation_title": "British Nationality Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981",
  "path": "section/43",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "43",
  "heading": "Exercise of functions of Secretary of State by Governors and others.",
  "text": "(1) Subject to subsection (3), the Secretary of State may, in the case of any of his functions under this Act with respect to any of the matters mentioned in subsection (2), make arrangements for that function to be exercised—\n(a) in any of the Islands, by the Lieutenant-Governor in cases concerning British citizens or British citizenship;\n(b) in any British overseas territory. . . , by the Governor in cases concerning British overseas territories citizens or British overseas territories citizenshipand in cases concerning British Nationals (Overseas) or the status of a British National (Overseas)\n(2) The said matters are—\n(a) registration and naturalisation; and\n(b) renunciation, resumption and deprivation of British citizenship or British overseas territories citizenship.\n(c) renunciation and deprivation of the status of a British National (Overseas).\n(3) Nothing in this section applies in the case of any power to make regulations or rules conferred on the Secretary of State by this Act.\n(4) Arrangements under subsection (1) may provide for any such function as is there mentioned to be exercisable only with the approval of the Secretary of State.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 43(1)(b) substituted (26.2.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 1(1)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in s. 43(1)(b) repealed (26.2.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 7, Sch. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 43(1)(b) substituted (26.2.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 2(2)(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 43 substituted (26.2.2002) by British Overseas Territories Act 2002 (c. 8), s. 2(2)(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "By S.I. 1986/948, art. 7(6)(b) it is provided that s. 43 shall have effect as if in subsection (1)(b) at the end there were inserted the words “and in cases concerning British Nationals (Overseas) or the status of a British National (Overseas)”"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "By S.I. 1986/948, art. 7(6)(c) it is provided that s. 43 shall have effect as if in sub-section (2) at the end there were inserted paragraph (c)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "S. 43 amended by S.I. 1986/948, art. 7(6)(a)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/61/section/43",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:13:43.090681+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}