Geneva Conventions Act 1957

Geneva Conventions Act 1957[a]
Act of Parliament
Long titleAn Act to enable effect to be given to certain international conventions done at Geneva on the twelfth day of August, nineteen hundred and forty-nine, and for purposes connected therewith.
Citation5 & 6 Eliz. 2. c. 52
Territorial extent [b]
Dates
Royal assent31 July 1957
Commencement31 July 1957[c]
Other legislation
Amended by
Status: Amended
Records of Parliamentary debate relating to the statute from Hansard
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The Geneva Conventions Act 1957 (5 & 6 Eliz. 2. c. 52) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that incorporates the provisions of the Geneva Conventions into British law.

One aspect of the act is that it makes wearing the Red Cross symbol illegal in many circumstances, sometimes with curious consequences. In 2011, a British pantomime costume had to be changed in order to comply with the Geneva Conventions Act.[1]

Its provisions were later amended by the Geneva Conventions (Amendment) Act 1995 and Geneva Conventions and United Nations Personnel (Protocols) Act 2009.[2][3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Section 8(1).
  2. ^ Section 8(2).
  3. ^ The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.

References

  1. ^ "Glasgow pantomime dress broke Geneva Convention". BBC News. 7 January 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
  2. ^ Warbrick, Colin; McGoldrick, Dominic; Rowe, Peter; Meyer, Michael A. (April 1996). "II. The Geneva Conventions (Amendment) Act 1995: A Generally Minimalist Approach". International & Comparative Law Quarterly. 45 (2): 476–484. doi:10.1017/S002058930005911X. ISSN 1471-6895.
  3. ^ Meyer, Michael; Garraway, Charles (2010). "The Geneva Conventions and United Nations Personnel (Protocols) Act 2009: A Move Away from the Minimalist Approach". The International and Comparative Law Quarterly. 59 (1): 171–180. ISSN 0020-5893.