It is easy to imagine that British citizenship should denote a strong connection with membership of the community in the UK; that British citizenship denotes a strong commitment to, and connection with, this country. However, that is not historically the case.
In effect, the history of legislation on citizenship and nationality has led to a complex scheme lacking coherence or any clear and self-contained statement of the rights and responsibilities of citizens.
My report discusses measures to address that and makes a range of proposals that touch every stage of an individual's life. My recommendations are intended to promote the meaning and significance of citizenship within modern Britain.
Lord Goldsmith QC
Lord Goldsmith's report on citizenship
Citizenship: Our common bond [PDF 0.63mb, 138 pages]
You can obtain a hard copy of the report by contacting the Review team.
Lord Goldsmith also commissioned five pieces of research and a series of pamphlets as part of his enquiries, to contribute to new thinking and stimulate discussion:
Citizenship Review research
Citizenship Review publications
We have also published a small selection of the submissions to the review:
Citizenship Review submissions
Terms of reference
- To clarify the legal rights and responsibilities associated with British citizenship, in addition to those enjoyed under the Human Rights Act, as a basis for defining what it means to be a citizen in Britain's open democratic society
- To consider the difference between the different categories of British nationality
- To examine the relationship between residence, citizenship and British national status and the incentives for long-term residents to become British citizens
- To explore the role of citizens and residents in civic society, including voting, jury service and other forms of civic participation
The review was launched on 5 October 2007 and reported to the Prime Minister in March 2008.