Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939

Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to confer on His Majesty certain powers which it is expedient that His Majesty should be enabled to exercise in the present emergency; and to make further provision for purposes connected with the defence of the realm.
Citation2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 62
Territorial extent United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent24 August 1939
Commencement24 August 1939
Expired24 August 1940
Repealed25 March 1959
Other legislation
AmendsOfficial Secrets Act 1920
Amended by
Repealed byEmergency Laws (Repeal) Act 1959
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 62) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The act was emergency legislation passed just prior to the outbreak of World War II by the Parliament of the United Kingdom to enable the British government to take up emergency powers to prosecute the war effectively. It contained clauses giving the government wide powers to create Defence Regulations by Order in Council. These regulations governed almost every aspect of everyday life in the country during the War. Two offences under the regulations (forcing safeguards and looting) were punishable with death. Following the conclusion of the war, the 1939 Act was repealed, with the individual regulations gradually following suit. As of 2023, at least one Regulation (relating to the use of service personnel to perform agricultural and other "urgent work of national importance") remains in force.

Passage and effect

On 24 August 1939, following the announcement of the Nazi–Soviet Pact the previous day, the House of Commons was recalled from its summer recess to pass the Emergency Powers (Defence) Bill, which gave authority to implement the Defence Regulations. The act was originally intended to be in force for only one year, and made general provision for prosecuting the war effort. In particular, it provided for the following:

1. (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, His Majesty may by Order in Council make such Regulations (in this Act referred to as "Defence Regulations") as appear to him to be necessary or expedient for securing the public safety, the defence of the realm, the maintenance of public order and the efficient prosecution of any war [in which] His Majesty may be engaged, and for maintaining supplies and services essential to the life of the community.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the powers conferred by the preceding subsection, Defence Regulations may, so far as appears to His Majesty in Council to be necessary or expedient for any of the purposes mentioned in that subsection:-

(a) Make provision for the apprehension, trial, and punishment of persons offending against the Regulations and for the detention of persons whose detention appears to the Secretary of State to be expedient in the interests of the public safety or the defence of the realm;

(b) authorise -

(i) the taking of possession or control, on behalf of His Majesty, of any property or undertaking;
(ii) the acquisition, on behalf of His Majesty, of any property other than land;

(c) authorise the entering and searching of any premises; and

(d) provide for amending any enactment, for suspending the operation of any enactment, and for applying any enactment with or without modification.

[...]

(5) Nothing in this section shall authorise the imposition of any form of compulsory naval, military or air force service or any form of industrial conscription, or the making of provision for the trial by courts martial of persons not being persons subject to the Naval Discipline Act, to military law or to the Air Force Act.

The bill completed all its parliamentary stages, including royal assent, on that day. The question of compensation was not directly addressed by the bill, but the subsequent Compensation (Defence) Act 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 75) established a statutory compensation scheme in respect of land, vessels, vehicles, aircraft and other property a week later.

Extension to the Channel Islands

Emergency Powers (Jersey Defence) Order 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/970
Dates
Made25 August 1930
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted
Emergency Powers (Guernsey Defence) Order 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/971
Dates
Made25 August 1930
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Emergency Powers (Jersey Defence) Order 1939 (SR&O 1939/970) and the Emergency Powers (Guernsey Defence) Order 1939 (SR&O 1939/971) extended the provisions of the act to the Channel Islands, allowing the States of Jersey and the Royal Court of Guernsey (respectively) to make defence regulations independently for their respective jurisdictions. They passed the Defence (Jersey) Regulations 1939 and the Defence Regulations (Guernsey) 1939.

Emergency Powers (Channel Islands) Order 1941
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1941/1209
Dates
Made15 August 1941
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
  • Emergency Powers (Jersey Defence) Order 1939
  • Emergency Powers (Guernsey Defence) Order 1939
Repealed by
  • Emergency Powers (Channel Islands) Order 1944
Status: Revoked
Text of statute as originally enacted
Emergency Powers (Channel Islands) Order 1944
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1944/1483
Dates
Made18 May 1944
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes
  • Emergency Powers (Channel Islands) Order 1941
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted

Following the German occupation of the Channel Islands, their powers to make Defence Regulations were revoked on 15 August 1941 by the Emergency Powers (Channel Islands) Order 1941 (SR&O 1941/1209), and the power to make Defence Regulations for the islands was then held solely by the Privy Council. Following the end of the German occupation of the islands, the Emergency Powers (Channel Islands) Order 1944 (SR&O 1944/1483) restored the powers to make Defence Regulations to the island authorities, and conferred power to make regulations on the officer commanding the British armed forces in the islands.

Extension to the Isle of Man

Emergency Powers (Isle of Man Defence) Order 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/969
Dates
Made25 August 1939
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Emergency Powers (Isle of Man Defence) Order 1939 (SR&O 1939/969) extended the power to make Defence Regulations to the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, Earl Granville.

Extension to colonies

Emergency Powers (Colonial Defence) Order 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/968
Dates
Made25 August 1939
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted
Emergency Powers (Straits Settlements Defence) Order 1942
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1942/1374
Dates
Made1 July 1942
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
  • Emergency Powers (Colonial Defence) Order 1939
  • Emergency Powers (Colonial Defence) (Explanation) Order 1942
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Emergency Powers (Colonial Defence) Order 1939 (SR&O 1939/968) granted powers to introduce local Defence Regulations to the governor of each British territory. Following the British withdrawal from Malaya and the capture of Singapore, the Emergency Powers (Straits Settlements Defence) Order 1942 (SR&O 1942/1374) transferred the power to make Defence Regulations for the Straits Settlements to the Governor of Ceylon, Andrew Caldecott, as the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Shenton Thomas, having been captured by Japan. A prerogative Order in Council provided a similar result for Hong Kong by transferring powers retrospective from the captured Governor of Hong Kong, Mark Aitchison Young, to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Defence Regulations

The Defence Regulations were Orders in Council and could amend any primary or secondary legislation within the limits of the enabling acts to allow the effective prosecution of the war.

The regulations existed in draft form, constantly revised, throughout the years between the world wars. In early 1939 it was decided that since a war might break out without warning or without time to pass an act of Parliament to bring in emergency regulations, the regulations should be split into two codes. Code A would be needed immediately if war broke out and could be passed in peacetime, while Code B, containing more severe restrictions on civil liberties, would be brought in later. In order not to alert the public to the existence of Code B, Code A was simply numbered consecutively.

Defence (General) Regulations 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/927
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Defence (General) Regulations (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/978
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Defence (General) Regulations (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/1681
Dates
Made23 November 1939
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted
Defence (General) Regulations (Amendment) Order 1940
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1940/1134
Dates
Made2 July 1940
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940
Text of statute as originally enacted

The main Defence Regulations were the Defence (General) Regulations 1939 (SR&O 1939/927), which implemented Code A and were brought into effect immediately. Code B followed on 1 September (the same day Nazi Germany invaded Poland) in the form of the Defence (General) Regulations (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 1939 (SR&O 1939/978) and included Defence Regulation 18B, which provided a framework for internment. The 1939 regulations were amended dozens of times throughout the war, including by the Defence (General) Regulations (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 1939 (SR&O 1939/1681), the Defence (General) Regulations (Amendment) Order 1940 (SR&O 1940/1134), in 1941 (adding Regulation 78) and in 1945 (adding Regulation 69D). By May 1945, some 377 Defence (General) Regulations had been created.

Specific topics

Other Defence Regulations covered narrower fields of life such as the:

Defence Regulations (Isle of Man) 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/1068
Dates
Made1 September 1939
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
  • Emergency Powers (Isle of Man Defence) Order 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted
Defence (Grants and Loans) Regulations 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/1381
Dates
Made5 October 1939
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted
Defence (Armed Forces) Regulations 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/1304
Dates
Made28 September 1939
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted
Defence (Summer Time) Regulations 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/1379
Dates
Made5 October 1939
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted
Defence (Finance) Regulations 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/1620
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Defence (Finance) Regulations (Isle of Man) 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/1048
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Defence (Agriculture and Fisheries) Regulations 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/1303
Dates
Made28 September 1939
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted
Defence (Savings Banks) Regulations 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/1113
Dates
Made21 September 1939
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted
Defence (Local Government) (Scotland) Regulations 1939
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1939/1380
Dates
Made5 October 1939
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Text of statute as originally enacted
Defence (Administration of Justice) Regulations 1940
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1940/1028
Territorial extent England and Wales
Dates
Made19 June 1940
Commencement19 June 1940
Other legislation
Made underEmergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940
Amended by
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
Defence (Trading with the Enemy) Regulations 1940
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1940/1092
Dates
Made26 June 1940
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940
Text of statute as originally enacted
Defence (Sale of Food) Regulations 1943
Statutory Rules and Orders
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
CitationSR&O 1943/1553
Dates
Made28 October 1943
Other legislation
Made under
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
  • Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940

Some regulations included powers for a minister to make further provision by way of orders.

Taken together, the Defence Regulations provided the legal basis for a number of measures aimed at the Home Front including the establishment of the Home Guard, the institution of rationing, and nighttime blackouts.

Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940

Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to extend the powers which may be exercised by His Majesty under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939.
Citation3 & 4 Geo. 6. c. 20
Territorial extent United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent22 May 1940
Commencement22 May 1940
Repealed18 December 1953
Other legislation
AmendsEmergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Amended by
Repealed by
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940 (3 & 4 Geo. 6. c. 20) extended the 1939 act for another year, and provided for annual extensions by parliamentary resolution. It also extended the government's powers under the Defence Regulations to require persons "to place themselves, their services and their property at the disposal of His Majesty" though the practical significance of this extension is unclear given the government had already passed the National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 81) and the Control of Employment Act 1939 (2 & 3 Geo. 6. c. 104).

Enforcement

Emergency Powers (Defence) (No. 2) Act 1940
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to remove doubts as to the extent of the powers which may be exercised by His Majesty under the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act, 1939.
Citation3 & 4 Geo. 6. c. 45
Territorial extent United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent1 August 1940
Commencement1 August 1940
Repealed18 December 1953
Other legislation
AmendsEmergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939
Repealed byStatute Law Revision Act 1953
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

Originally the regulations did not create any capital offences, since the law of treason was thought to be sufficient. Defence Regulation 2A provided that "If, with intent to assist the enemy, any person does any act which is likely to assist the enemy or to prejudice the public safety, the defence of the realm or the efficient prosecution of the war, he shall be liable to penal servitude for life."

However, in 1940 amendments to the regulations created two capital offences: "forcing safeguards" (breaking through roadblocks etc.) under regulation 1B, and looting under regulation 38A. A third new capital offence, called treachery, was created soon afterwards by the Treachery Act 1940 (3 & 4 Geo. 6. c. 21).

The Emergency Powers (Defence) (No. 2) Act 1940 (3 & 4 Geo. 6. c. 45) enabled the creation of special courts to administer criminal justice in war zones, as well as authorizing them to punish offenders for violating the Defence Regulations.

Continuance and repeal

After the end of the war, the Defence Regulations were continued in force by the Supplies and Services (Transitional Powers) Act 1945 (9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 10) and later by the Emergency Laws (Transitional Provisions) Act 1946 (9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 26). They continued to be amended periodically, including by the Defence Regulations (No. 1) Order 1949 (SI 1949/1046), the Defence Regulations (No. 2) Order 1949 (SI 1949/1202), the Defence Regulations (No. 3) Order 1949 (SI 1949/2350) and the Defence Regulations (No. 4) Order 1949 (SI 1949/2388). Some were repealed, for example by the Land Powers (Defence) Act 1958 (6 & 7 Eliz. 2. c. 30).

The Emergency Laws (Repeal) Act 1959 (7 & 8 Eliz. 2. c. 19) repealed most of the Defence (General) Regulations, with the exception of:

The 1959 act also preserved Regulation 2A of the Defence (Finance) Regulations 1939 (power of Treasury to prohibit action on certain orders as to gold, etc.) and the Regulation 6 of the Defence (Armed Forces) Regulations 1939 (power to employ troops on agricultural or other urgent work of national importance). Under the terms of the 1959 act, the last of the Defence Regulations were due to expire on 31 December 1964. However, Regulation 6 of the Defence (Armed Forces) Regulations 1939 was made permanent by the Emergency Powers Act 1964 (c. 38), and several of the other regulations were re-enacted on a permanent basis by the Emergency Laws (Re-enactments and Repeals) Act 1964 (c. 60). As of 2023, Regulation 6 (which authorises the use of service personnel to perform agricultural and other "urgent work of national importance") remains in force.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Section 12.
  2. ↑ Also applies to British subjects, ships and aircraft if not in the British Empire. Capable of being extended to other parts of the British Empire by order in council.
  3. 1 2 Section 11(1).
  4. ↑ Section 20(1).
  5. ↑ Section 20(4).
  6. ↑ Section 2.
  7. ↑ The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.
  8. ↑ Section 2.
  9. ↑

References

  1. 1 2 Butler, T. R. F.; Garsia, M., eds. (1943). Archbold Criminal Pleading, Evidence and Practice (31st ed.). pp. 1524–1525.
  2. ↑ Simpson 1994, p. 49.
  3. ↑ Balogh 1943, p. 196.
  4. ↑ Simpson 1994, pp. 43–47.
  5. ↑ Simpson 1994, pp. 48–49.
  6. 1 2 Simpson 1994, p. 50.
  7. ↑ "Defence (General) Regulations, 1939". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 373. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 6 August 1941.
  8. ↑ "Emergency Powers (Defence) (General Regulations)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 407. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 25 January 1945.
  9. ↑ Cotter 1953, p. 406.
  10. ↑ "Home Front". UK Parliament. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
  11. 1 2 Jennings 1940, p. 132.
  12. ↑ "Offences (Penalties)". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 365. United Kingdom: House of Commons. 20 November 1940.
  13. ↑ Jennings 1940, p. 133.
  14. ↑ Statutory Instruments Other Than Those of a Local, Personal, Or Temporary Character for the Year 1949. Vol. 2. H.M. Stationery Office. 1949.
  15. 1 2 F.J. Erroll, Economic Secretary to the Treasury (12 November 1958). "Emergency Laws (Repeal) Bill". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 413–414.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ Emergency Laws (Repeal) Act 1959, s. 10

Bibliography