This subtopic covers aspects of British citizenship and the right of abode that are most likely to be dealt with by an immigration adviser in day-to-day practice.
The main legislation governing British citizenship is the British Nationality Act 1981 (BNA 1981). All British citizens, and some Commonwealth citizens have the right of abode in the UK. The concept of right of abode is defined in section 2 of the Immigration Act 1971 (IA 1971). Those who have the right of abode in the UK are not subject to immigration control and, subject to limited exceptions, are free to come and go from the UK provided they are able to establish the right, eg through producing a valid British passport or certificate of entitlement.
The right of abode in the UK is an immigration status (IA 1971, s 1(1)). A person who has the right of abode is free to live in, and to come and go into and from, the UK, subject only to restrictions to enable the right to be established or which
To view the latest version of this document and thousands of others like it, sign-in with LexisNexis or register for a free trial.
**Trials are provided to all LexisNexis content, excluding Practice Compliance, Practice Management and Risk and Compliance, subscription packages are tailored to your specific needs. To discuss trialling these LexisNexis services please email customer service via our online form. Free trials are only available to individuals based in the UK, Ireland and selected UK overseas territories and Caribbean countries. We may terminate this trial at any time or decide not to give a trial, for any reason. Trial includes one question to LexisAsk during the length of the trial.
The Tribunal Procedure Committee (TPC) has published its response to its consultation on amendments to the Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules...
Welcome to the 20 August 2026 highlights from the Immigration team, which provides links to key news stories from the last week, as well as a round-up...
The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford estimates that approximately 13.5% of people aged 16 or over in England and Wales were foreign...
The Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos, delivered the John Lehane Memorial Lecture at the Supreme Court of New South Wales, addressing the...
If a person has settled status and has been granted British citizenship, can they continue to travel in and out of the UK prior to obtaining a British passport as long as they have attended the citizenship ceremony and been naturalised as a British citizen?Once a non-British or Irish national with
Strike out—making an application to strike out a statement of caseA strike out order can be made either following an application by the parties or on the court's own initiative. This Practice Note deals with the scenario of the order being made following a party's application.Making an application
Contributory negligence in personal injury claimsContributory negligence is a partial defence which can lead to a discount in damages.Other defences may also be relevant. See Practice Notes: Did the claimant consent to the risk of injury? and Was the claimant involved in an illegal activity?If a
Glossary—Latin legal termsDespite attempts in recent years to simplify the language used in legal cases, there are still a number of Latin phrases commonly used in personal injury claims. The following Latin phrases are listed in alphabetical order:Latin termDefinitionMeaningActa iure imperiiLegal
0330 161 1234