Section 29 – Time when Welsh legislation comes into force
153.Section 29 provides that where the day on which an Assembly Act or Welsh subordinate instrument, or a provision in such an Act or instrument, comes into force is provided for in legislation, the Act or instrument comes into force at the beginning of that day.
154.In practice, the day on which an Assembly Act or a provision in an Act comes into force is usually provided for in the Act itself(5), or the Welsh Ministers are given a power to bring it into force on a specific day by making an order (usually known as a commencement order). All of these scenarios are covered by section 29.
155.Section 29 has effect except to the extent that express provision is made to the contrary or the context requires otherwise. It is equivalent to section 4(a) of the 1978 Act.
Usually by providing that the Act comes into force at the end of a certain period beginning with the grant of Royal Assent, or that it comes into force on a specific date. Occasionally, an Act will provide for the Act to come into force when a certain event or other contingency occurs.