Defence Regulations

During World War II in the United Kingdom Defence Regulations were a fundamental part of everyday life.

They were emergency regulations passed on the outbreak of war and during its duration to give the government of the day emergency powers to prosecute the war. Two Acts of Parliament were passed as enabling legislation to allow the Defence Regulations to be promulgated. The first was the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1939, which was passed immediately before war was declared, and the second was the Emergency Powers (Defence) Act 1940, which was passed in the aftermath of the German attack on France in 1940. The 1940 Act allowed Defence Regulations to be made on matters such as industrial conscription.

The main Defence Regulations were the Defence (General) Regulations 1939, which were amended at various points throughout the war. Other Defence Regulations covered narrower fields of life. These included Defence Regulation 18B, which provided a framework for internment.

The Defence Regulations were Orders in Council and could amend any primary or secondary legislation within the limits of the enabling Acts to allow the effective prosecution of the war. Since the emergency conditions created by World War II persisted after the conflict, was over the last of the Defence Regulations, mainly those on food rationing, were not abolished until the early 1950s.