Miscellaneous Section 58: Acquisition of British nationality, &c.
141.Section 58 would require most applicants for British nationality by registration to satisfy the Secretary of State that they were “of good character” before nationality could be granted.  At present such a requirement applies only to those seeking to acquire British nationality by naturalisation.  Exceptions will continue to be made where the applicant has an entitlement to registration deriving from the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness or is entitled to registration as a British citizen under section 4B of the British Nationality Act 1981 (certain British Overseas citizens, British subjects and British protected persons without other citizenship) or is aged below 10 on the date of the application.