Doctrine of reception

Doctrine of reception

In common law, the doctrine of reception (properly, reception of the common law of England in a colony) refers to the process in which the English law becomes applicable to a British Crown Colony, protectorate, or protected state.

In Commentaries on the Laws of England (Bk I, ch.4, pp 106-108), Sir William Blackstone described the doctrine as follows:

Plantations or colonies, in distant countries, are either such where the lands are claimed by right of occupancy only, by finding them desert and uncultivated, and peopling them from the mother-country; or where, when already cultivated, they have been either gained by conquest, or ceded to us by treaties. And both these rights are founded upon the law of nature, or at least upon that of nations. But there is a difference between these two species of colonies, with respect to the laws by which they are bound. For it hath been held, that if an uninhabited country be discovered and planted by English subjects, all the English laws then in being, which are the birthright of every subject, are immediately there in force... But in conquered or ceded countries, that have already laws of their own, the king may indeed alter and change those laws; but, till he does actually change them, the ancient laws of the country remain, unless such as are against the law of God, as in the case of an infidel country.

(Note: the 'infidel country' reference here was mainly intended to prohibit customs considered barbaric by the British, such as cannibalism, once a territory was colonized, in an age when communications between the British government and her far-flung colonies could take months on end.)

In other words, if an 'uninhabited' territory is colonised by Britain, then the English law automatically applies in this territory from the moment of colonisation; however if the colonised territory has a pre-existing legal system, the native law would apply (effectively a form of indirect rule) until formally superseded by the English law, through Royal Prerogative subjected to the Westminster Parliament.

Hong Kong

In practice, it could take years or even decades for the native law in a colony to be gradually superseded by the English law. The legal history of Hong Kong provides an illustration of this point: after the colonization by the British Empire in 1841, the Great Qing Legal Code remained in force for the local Chinese population. Until the end of the 19th Century, Chinese offenders were still executed by decapitation, whereas the British would be put to death by hanging. Even deep into the 20th Century and well after the fall of the Qing dynasty in China, Chinese men in Hong Kong could still practice polygamy by virtue of the Qing Code -- a situation that was ended only with the passing of the Marriage Act of 1971.

See also


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Reception — is a noun form of receiving , or to receive something, such as information, art, experience, or people. It is often used in the following contexts:*in telecommunications, the action of an electronic receiver, such as for radio or remote control… …   Wikipedia

  • Reception de l'indu en droit quebecois — Réception de l indu en droit québécois Sous le régime du Code civil du Bas Canada il était question du quasi contrat qui résultait de la réception d’une chose non due[1]. La doctrine et la jurisprudence y faisaient référence sous l’appellation… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Réception de l'indu — en droit québécois Sous le régime du Code civil du Bas Canada il était question du quasi contrat qui résultait de la réception d’une chose non due[1]. La doctrine et la jurisprudence y faisaient référence sous l’appellation « paiement de… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Reception — Re*cep tion (r[ e]*s[e^]p sh[u^]n), n. [F. r[ e]ception, L. receptio, fr. recipere, receptum. See {Receive}.] 1. The act of receiving; receipt; admission; as, the reception of food into the stomach; the reception of a letter; the reception of… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Doctrine de l'Église catholique sur la sexualité — Au cours de son histoire, L Église catholique a développé une doctrine en matière de sexualité puisée pour l essentiel dans le travail de réflexion sur la morale de saint Augustin, reflétée dans l encyclique Casti Connubii[réf. nécessaire].… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Réception de l'indu en droit québécois — La réception de l’indu en droit québécois est l’action par laquelle un individu qui a effectué un paiement peut demander sa restitution. Celui ci doit donc avoir exécuté un paiement qu’il n’avait pas à effectuer. En effet, pour qu’il y ait un… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • réception — (ré sè psion ; en vers, de quatre syllabes) s. f. 1°   Action par laquelle on reçoit. Accuser réception d une lettre, d un paquet. •   Il [Napoléon à Moscou] appelle tous ses généraux, il triomphe en leur annonçant une paix toute prochaine :… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce — The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce: Restor d to the Good of Both Sexes, From the Bondage of Canon Law was published by John Milton on 1 August 1643. An expanded second edition was published on 2 February 1644. The editions were published… …   Wikipedia

  • Doctrine des sacrements — Sacrement Christianisme Religions abrahamiques (arbre) Judaïsme · Christianisme · Islam Courants Arbre du christianisme Grandes confessions : Catholicisme · Orthodoxie · Protestantisme …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Doctrine des sept sacrements — Sacrement Christianisme Religions abrahamiques (arbre) Judaïsme · Christianisme · Islam Courants Arbre du christianisme Grandes confessions : Catholicisme · Orthodoxie · Protestantisme …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”