When you look at a new law, you might wonder when it starts. An Act or a part of an Act comes into force on the date stated or provided for in the Act. If the Act does not say when it starts, it begins the day after Royal assent.

If a law does not have a start date, it begins the day after Royal assent. However, some parts of the law, like the title and the parts that say when it starts, begin as soon as the law gets Royal assent. These parts include anything that identifies other laws being changed.

You can find more information about this by looking at the Legislation Act 2019 and the Secondary Legislation Act 2021. A principal legislation provision is a section or part of a section that identifies legislation being amended. This means it points out which laws are being changed.