Commentary Acquisition of British citizenship etc. by registration Section 47: Good character requirement
183.Section 47 moves the existing requirement in section 58 of the IANA 2006 for adults or young persons applying for registration as a British citizen, a British overseas territories citizen, a British Overseas citizen or as a British subject to be of “good character” into the various different Acts which contain the relevant registration routes. The underlying requirement to be “of good character” remains unchanged.
184.Thus, subsection (1) creates a new section 41A in the BNA 1981, for registration routes contained in that Act. Subsection (2) inserts the requirement into section 1 of the Hong Kong (War Wives and Widows) Act 1996, and subsection (3) inserts the requirement into section 1 of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1997.
185.Subsections (4) and (5) make consequential changes to the existing powers to supply the Secretary of State with information relevant to the good character requirement in section 131 of the NIAA 2002 and section 40 of the UKBA 2007.