Trinidad and Tobago Independence Act 1962

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Trinidad and Tobago Independence Act 1962[a]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to make provision for, and in connection with, the attainment by Trinidad and Tobago of fully responsible status within the Commonwealth.
Citation10 & 11 Eliz. 2. c. 54
Introduced byReginald Maudling, Secretary of State for the Colonies (Commons)
Territorial extent Trinidad and Tobago
Dates
Royal assent1 August 1962
Commencement31 August 1962[b]
Other legislation
Amended by
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Trinidad and Tobago Independence Act 1962 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The Trinidad and Tobago Independence Act 1962 (10 & 11 Eliz. 2. c. 54) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that granted independence to Trinidad and Tobago with effect from 31 August 1962.

As a result of the act, Trinidad and Tobago became an independent country in the West Indies achieving independence from the United Kingdom.

Background to enactment

The background to the bill came about as a result of Trinidadian opposition to inclusion within the West Indies Federation, its subsequent collapse in 1962, as well as local general strikes protesting against British colonial rule.[1] The bill was first presented in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as the Trinidad and Tobago Independence Bill on 4 July 1962, by Secretary of State for the Colonies, Reginald Maudling.[2] It was passed in the House of Commons after a third reading and committee on 6 July 1962, without amendments.[3] It entered the House of Lords on 9 July 1962 and was read by George Petty-Fitzmaurice, 8th Marquess of Lansdowne (the Minister of State for Colonial Affairs) on 16 July 1962.[4]

It was passed in the House of Lords on 26 July 1962 without any amendments.[5] The bill received royal assent on 1 August 1962, from Queen Elizabeth II.[6]

Effect

The Act gave effect to granting independence to Trinidad and Tobago, where the British Union Jack was lowered and the new flag of Trinidad and Tobago was raised on the islands.[7] The Queen remained as head of state as the Queen of Trinidad and Tobago, represented by a Governor-General, until 1976 when Trinidad and Tobago voted to become a republic.[8]

See also

Notes

  1. Section 5.
  2. Section 1(1).

References

  1. "The Road to Nationhood". National Archives of Trinidad and Tobago. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  2. "Hansard, July 4 1962". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commons and Lords libraries. 4 July 1962. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  3. "Hansard, July 6 1962". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commons and Lords libraries. 6 July 1962. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  4. "Hansard, July 16 1962". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commons and Lords libraries. 16 July 1962. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  5. "Hansard, July 26 1962". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commons and Lords libraries. 26 July 1962. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  6. "Bills receiving Royal Assent" (PDF). The London Gazette. 3 August 1962. Retrieved 13 October 2015.
  7. "Google Doodle celebrates T&T's independence". Trinidad & Tobago Guardian. Retrieved 22 May 2026.
  8. Dale, William (1993). "The Making and Remaking of Commonwealth Constitutions". The International and Comparative Law Quarterly. 42 (1): 67–83. doi:10.1093/iclqaj/42.1.67. ISSN 0020-5893. JSTOR 761166.