Indian Independence Act (1947)
April 10th, 2008 | by Raja Ghias |In the meantime the Indian Independence Bill was drafted and shown to Indian party leaders and to Gandhi and introduce in the House of Commons by Prime Minster Attlee himself on 4 July. It was passed on 15 July by the Commons and on 16 July by the Lords. There was no amendment. The Bill received the Royal Assent on 18 July, exactly twelve years after the passing of the Government of India Act 1935. This Act provided for the partition of India and the establishment of two Dominions of India and Pakistan from the appointed day. The Act also provided for:
1. The legislature supremacy of the two Dominions.
2. The legislatures of the two Dominions were given full powers to make laws having extra-territorial jurisdiction.
3. The British Government was to have no control over the affairs of the Dominions, Provinces or any part of the Dominions after 15 August, 1947.
4. The Act terminated British authority over India, set up two independent Dominions, each with full authority to make any constitution it pleased. Both the Dominions were given full powers and rights to leave the British Common wealth of Nations if they so pleased.
Separate provisional governments were set up for India and Pakistan on 20 July. On 7 August Jinnah left India for the last time and flew to Karachi, the capital of the new Dominion of Pakistan. The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan met on 11 August and elected him as its President. On 13 August Mountbatten came to Karachi and on 14 August addressed the Constituent Assembly. Pakistan officially became free on August 1947, when Jinnah was sworn in as Governor General and the new Pakistan Cabinet took office.
