ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a general picture of the powers exercised by the United Kingdom in respect of dependent territories. Comment upon the attainment of independence by those countries which were founder Members of the British Commonwealth would be out of place. The essence of the situation is that in both municipal law and international law a dependent territory is subject to some sort of external control or supervision which limits its freedom of action and its sovereignty. Returning to the United Kingdom machinery, the most obvious need is to ensure unlimited legislative freedom. The Indian Independence Act also adds that no Order or other instrument made after the appointed day under an existing Act shall extend to either of the new Dominions as part of their law. The chapter aims to describe a nicely adjusted piece of legal machinery, which works overtime giving substance to political designs which for Adam Smith would have been fantasies.
