Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009
The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009 (c 16) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to confer, on certain national institutions, a power that was already possessed by other museums to return to their rightful owners cultural objects unlawfully acquired during the Nazi era.[4] It was introduced into Parliament as the Holocaust (Stolen Art) Restitution Bill.[5] The Bill was amended to give it a different name.
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Long title | An Act to confer power to return certain cultural objects on grounds relating to events occurring during the Nazi era. |
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Citation | 2009 c 16 |
Introduced by | Andrew Dismore[2] |
Territorial extent | England and Wales and Scotland[3] |
Dates | |
Royal assent | 12 November 2009 |
Other legislation | |
Amended by | Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) (Amendment) Act 2019 |
Status: Amended | |
History of passage through Parliament | |
Text of statute as originally enacted | |
Revised text of statute as amended |
Sections 1 to 3
These sections came into force on 13 January 2010.[6]
Section 1 provides that the Act applies to:
- The Board of Trustees of the Armouries
- The British Library Board
- The Trustees of the British Museum
- The Trustees of the Imperial War Museum
- The Board of Trustees for the National Galleries of Scotland
- The Board of Trustees of the National Gallery
- The Trustees of the National Library of Scotland
- The Trustees of the National Maritime Museum
- The Board of Trustees of the National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside
- The Board of Trustees of the National Museums of Scotland
- The Board of Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery
- The Trustees of the Natural History Museum
- The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum
- The Board of Trustees of the Tate Gallery
- The Board of Trustees of the Victoria and Albert Museum
- The Board of Trustees of the Wallace Collection
Section 2 authorises those bodies to transfer objects from their collections if the Advisory Panel has recommended that transfer and the Secretary of State has approved that recommendation. (The bodies in question were previously prohibited by statute from doing this).[7]
Section 3 defines the expression "Advisory Panel". The explanatory notes to the Act said that the Government intended to designate the Spoliation Advisory Panel as the Advisory Panel for the purpose of this Act.[8] That body, created in 2000 as a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, retained its designation under the 2009 Act after it was reconstituted in April 2010 as an expert group (under the same name).
Section 4 - Short title, extent, commencement and sunset
This section came into force on 12 November 2009.[9]
Section 4(1) authorises the citation of this Act by a short title.
Section 4(3) confers a power on the Secretary of State to appoint the day on which sections 1 to 3 of the Act come into force. This power was fully exercised by the Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009 (Commencement) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/50 (C.8)).
Section 4(7) is a sunset clause. It provides that the Act will expire at the end of the period of ten years which began on the day it was passed. This clause was repealed under the Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) (Amendment) Act 2019.
References
- The citation of this Act by this short title is authorised by section 4(1) of this Act.
- http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2008-09/holocaustreturnofculturalobjectsformerlyknownasholocauststolenartrestitution.html
- The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009, section 4(2)
- Explanatory notes, paragraph 6
- Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) (formerly known as Holocaust (Stolen Art) Restitution) Act 2009
- The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009 (Commencement) Order 2010 (S.I. 2010/50 (C.8)), article 2 (as read with section 4(3) of this Act).
- Explanatory notes, paragraph 4
- Explanatory notes, paragraph 14
- The Interpretation Act 1978, section 4(b)
External links
- The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009, as amended from the National Archives.
- The Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009, as originally enacted from the National Archives.
- Explanatory notes to the Holocaust (Return of Cultural Objects) Act 2009.