United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Island—1851 Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation

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British Treaty

On July 10, 1851, a Treaty was signed between the United Kingdom and the Hawaiian Kingdom in Honolulu and thereafter ratified by both governments. Article VIII of this treaty provides:

“the subjects of either of the contracting parties, in the territories of the other, shall receive and enjoy full and perfect protection for their persons and property, and shall have free and open access to the courts of justice in the said countries, respectively, for the prosecution and defense of their just rights…”

Neither Great Britain nor the Hawaiian Kingdom gave notice to the other of its intention to terminate this treaty in accordance with the principles of customary international law.  Therefore, this treaty is still in full force and continues to have legal effect to date. Former British territories, which acquired their independence from Great Britain, are successor States to, at the very least, Article VIII of the Hawaiian-British Treaty with regard to the citizenry of the successor State that effectively replaced the citizenry of the predecessor State in the treaty. These successor States, which includes mandate territories, are:

  1. Afghanistan.  Independence:  August 19, 1919.
  2. Antigua and Barbuda.  Independence:  November 1, 1981.
  3. Australia.  Independence:  January 1, 1901.
  4. Bahamas.  Independence:  July 10, 1973.
  5. Bahrain.  Independence:  August 15, 1971.
  6. Bangladesh.  Independence from Pakistan on December 16, 1971.  Pakistan acquired Independence from Great Britain on August 14, 1947.
  7. Barbados.  Independence:  November 30, 1966.
  8. Belize.  Independence:  September 21, 1981.
  9. Bhutan.  Independence from India on August 8, 1949.  India acquired Independence from Great Britain on August 15, 1947.
  10. Botswana.  Independence:  September 30, 1966.
  11. Brunei Darussalam. Independence: January 1, 1984.
  12. Canada. Independence: December 11, 1931.
  13. Cyprus.  Independence:  August 16, 1960.
  14. Dominica.  Independence:  November 3, 1978.
  15. Egypt.  Independence:  February 28, 1922.
  16. Fiji.  Independence:  October 10, 1970.
  17. Gambia.  Independence:  February18, 1965.
  18. Ghana.  Independence:  March 6, 1957.
  19. Grenada.  Independence:  February 7, 1974.
  20. Guyana.  Independence:  May 26, 1966.
  21. India.  Independence:  August 15, 1947.
  22. Iraq. Independence from British Mandate: October 3, 1932.
  23. Ireland.  Independence:  December 6, 1921.
  24. Israel. Independence from British Mandate: May 14, 1948.
  25. Jamaica.  Independence:  August 6, 1962.
  26. Jordan. Independence from British Mandate: May 25, 1946.
  27. Kenya.  Independence:  December 12, 1963.
  28. Kiribati.  Independence:  July 12, 1979.
  29. Kuwait.  Independence:  June 19, 1961.
  30. Lesotho.  Independence:  October 4, 1966.
  31. Malawi.  Independence:  July 6, 1964.
  32. Malaysia.  Independence:  August 31, 1957.
  33. Maldives.  Independence:  July 26, 1965.
  34. Malta.  Independence:  September 21, 1964.
  35. Mauritius.  Independence:  March 12, 1968.
  36. Myanmar.  Independence:  January 4, 1948.
  37. Namibia.  Independence from South African Mandate on March 21, 1990. South Africa acquired Independence from Great Britain on May 31, 1910.
  38. Nauru. Independence from Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain Trusteeship on January 31, 1968. New Zealand acquired Independence from Great Britain on September 26, 1907, and Australia acquired Independence from Great Britain on January 1, 1901.
  39. New Zealand.  Independence:  September 26, 1907.
  40. Nigeria.  Independence:  October 1, 1960.
  41. Pakistan.  Independence:  August 14, 1947.
  42. Papua New Guinea. Independence from Australian Trusteeship on September 16, 1975. Australia acquired Independence from Great Britain on January 1, 1901.
  43. Qatar.  Independence:  September 3, 1971.
  44. Saint Kitts and Nevis.  Independence:  September 19, 1983.
  45. Saint Lucia.  Independence:  February 22, 1979.
  46. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.  Independence:  October 27, 1979.
  47. Samoa. Independence from New Zealand Trusteeship on January 1, 1962. New Zealand acquired Independence from Great Britain on September 26, 1907.
  48. Seychelles.  Independence:  June 29, 1976.
  49. Sierra Leone.  Independence:  April 27, 1961.
  50. Singapore.  Independence from Malaysia on August 9, 1965. Malaysia acquired Independence from Great Britain on August 31, 1957.
  51. Solomon Islands.  Independence:  July 7, 1978.
  52. Somalia.  Independence:  July 1, 1960, from a merger of British Somaliland that became independent from the UK on 26 June 1960 and Italian Somaliland that became independent from the Italian-administered UN trusteeship on 1 July 1960 to form the Somali Republic.
  53. South Africa.  Independence:  May 31, 1910.
  54. .South Sudan. Independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011. Sudan acquired Independence from Great Britain on January 1, 1956.
  55. Sri Lanka.  Independence:  February 4, 1948.
  56. Sudan.  Independence:  January 1, 1956.
  57. Swaziland.  Independence:  September 6, 1968.
  58. Tonga.  Independence:  June 4, 1970.
  59. Trinidad and Tobago.  Independence:  August 31, 1962.
  60. Tuvalu.  Independence:  October 1, 1978.
  61. Uganda.  Independence:  October 9, 1962.
  62. United Arab Emirates.  Independence:  December 2, 1971.
  63. United Republic of Tanzania. Tanganyika became independent on December 9, 1961 from British Trusteeship; Zanzibar became independent on December 19, 1963; Tanganyika united with Zanzibar on April 26, 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar; renamed United Republic of Tanzania.
  64. Vanuatu.  Independence from both France and Great Britain on July 30, 1980.
  65. Zambia.  Independence:  October 24, 1964.
  66. Zimbabwe.  Independence:  April 18, 1980.

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