British Museum Act 1963

The British Museum Act 1963 (c. 24) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It replaced the British Museum Act 1902 (2 Edw. 7. c. 12). It was introduced by the second ministry of the Conservative Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. The act forbids the British Museum and the Natural History Museum from disposing of their holdings, except in a small number of special circumstances. In May 2005 a judge of the High Court of England and Wales ruled that Nazi-looted Old Master artworks held at the British Museum could not be returned.^[1]

Long titleAn Act to alter the composition of the Trustees of the British Museum, to provide for the separation from the British Museum of the British Museum (Natural History), to make new provision with respect to the regulation of the two Museums and their collections in place of that made by the British Museum Act 1753 and enactments amending or supplementing that Act, and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.

Citation1963 c. 24

Royal assent10 July 1963

Commencement30 September 1963^[b]

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British Museum Act 1963^[a]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to alter the composition of the Trustees of the British Museum, to provide for the separation from the British Museum of the British Museum (Natural History), to make new provision with respect to the regulation of the two Museums and their collections in place of that made by the British Museum Act 1753 and enactments amending or supplementing that Act, and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.
Citation	1963 c. 24
Dates
Royal assent	10 July 1963
Commencement	30 September 1963[b]
Other legislation
Amends	Justices' Clerks' Fees (Middlesex) Act 1754 British Museum (Purchase of Land) Act 1894 National Gallery and Tate Gallery Act 1954
Repeals/revokes	British Museum Act 1753 British Museum Act 1767 British Museum Act 1805 British Museum Act 1807 British Museum Act 1816 British Museum Act 1824 British Museum (No. 2) Act 1824 British Museum Act 1832 British Museum Act 1839 British Museum Act 1878 British Museum Act 1902 British Museum Act 1924 British Museum Act 1930 British Museum Act 1938 British Museum Act 1955 British Museum Act 1962
Amended by	Museum of London Act 1965 Superannuation Act 1965 Minister for the Civil Service Order 1968 Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1970 British Library Act 1972 British Museum (Authorised Repositories) Order 1973 Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1974 Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1978 Transfer of Functions (Arts and Libraries) Order 1979 British Museum (Natural History) (Authorised Repositories) Order 1982 National Heritage Act 1983 British Museum (Authorised Repositories) Order 1984 British Museum (Natural History) (Authorised Repositories) Order 1985 Transfer of Functions (British Museum (Natural History)) Order 1988 Museums and Galleries Act 1992 British Museum (Authorised Repositories) Order 1995 Natural History Museum (Authorised Repositories) Order 2006 Transfer of Functions (Museum and Other Staff) Order 2011 British Museum (Authorised Repositories) Order 2021
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the British Museum Act 1963 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

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The act also made the Natural History Museum an independent organisation from the British Museum, with its own board of trustees.