Prince Edward Islands Act, 1948

The Prince Edward Islands Act, 1948 (Act No. 43 of 1948) is an act of the Parliament of South Africa that annexed the Prince Edward Islands to the Union of South Africa (as it then was). The South African flag was hoisted on Marion Island and Prince Edward Island on 29 December 1947 and 4 January 1948 respectively, and a proclamation of annexation was promulgated on 24 January 1948. The annexation was confirmed by Parliament by the Prince Edward Islands Act, which was signed by the Governor-General on 1 October 1948 and came into force upon publication on 7 October.

Prince Edward Islands Act, 1948
Parliament of South Africa
  • Act to provide for the confirmation of the annexation to the Union of South Africa of the Prince Edward Islands, and for the administration, government and control of the said islands.
CitationAct No. 43 of 1948
Territorial extentPrince Edward Islands
Enacted byParliament of South Africa
Assented to1 October 1948
Commenced7 October 1948
Status: In force

In terms of the act, the islands are deemed to fall within the magisterial district of Cape Town and the electoral ward containing the Port of Cape Town; as of 2011 this is ward 55 of the City of Cape Town. The common law applicable to the islands is defined to be the Roman-Dutch law as applied in the Cape Province. The act also extends certain other acts of Parliament to the island, and gives the Governor-General (i.e. the President) the power to extend other laws to the islands. It states that no other act will apply to the islands unless it is made to apply by such a proclamation or by the text of the act itself.

Certain provisions of the act, though not repealed, may have been superseded by the Antarctic Treaties Act, 1996 and the Antarctic Treaty System.

List of acts made applicable to the islands

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Except where otherwise indicated, each act listed below was made applicable to the Prince Edward Islands expressly by its own text.

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