¹ In March 1960 the British Cabinet established the Monckton Commission to investigate the future of the Federation.

² The African leaders had proposed the right to secede from the Federation.

³ The Federation, sometimes called the Central African Federation, when designed in 1953 was hoped by the white settler leaders to bring the territories closer in status to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, meaning the removal of the United Kingdom's controls on the Federation's internal and external policies. The sections of the Order in Council annex stipulated the United Kingdom's continued position in the Federation and also that the Constitution should be reviewed, which happened in late 1960. The Federation lasted until 1963.

⁴ Major constitutional Acts for Canada dating from 1867, after the 1839 Durham Report recommended responsible government and closer union of British North America.

⁵ Sir John A. MacDonald, first Prime Minister of Canada, 1867–1873 and 1878–1891.

⁶ Sir George-Étienne Cartier, French Canadian politician and minister.

⁷ Both the Punjab and Bengal had significant populations of Hindus and Muslims, as well as other communities, such as the Sikhs in the Punjab.

⁸ By the Tamil Congress Leader G.G. Ponnambalam.

⁹ Field-Marshal Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan, 1958–1969.

¹⁰ In 1958 martial law was declared in Pakistan, and the 1956 constitution (upon which Jennings had advised) was abrogated. See Section H.

¹¹ During the 1958 communal riots.

¹² The India Councils Act 1909 (commonly referred to as the Morely–Minto Reforms) established elections for selected seats in provincial legislatures, including a separate electorate for Muslims.

¹³ Referring to the partnership between Robert Baldwin from West Canada and Sir Louis Hippolyte-LaFontaine from East Canada to form a political partnership and establish responsible government for United Canada in the wake of the Durham Report.

¹⁴ After considerable debate, English was kept as an official language after Independence.

¹⁵ The Simon Commission was sent to India in 1928 to investigate potential constitutional reforms. It recommended the retention of communal electorates.

¹⁶ Hartley Shawcross, Baron Shawcross; Attorney-General in the Labour Government, 1945–1951. Shawcross had to leave the Commission owing to illness.

¹⁷ This petition from the State of Western Australia related to its request to the Westminster parliament for legislation to secede from the Commonwealth of Australia.

¹⁸ Sir Roy Welensky, leader of the United Federal Party; Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1956–1963.

¹⁹ Walter Monckton (later Viscount Monckton of Brenchley), British Conservative minister and legal adviser; Minister of Labour, 1951–1955.

²⁰ Sir John Moffatt, member of the Northern Rhodesia Legislative Council and leader of the liberal Central African Party.

²¹ Chief Mwase of Kasungu from Nyasaland.

²² Winston Field, Rhodesian MP; later Rhodesian Front Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, 1962–1964.

²³ Harold Macmillan (later Earl of Stockton), British Conservative Prime Minister, 1957–1963.

²⁴ Duncan Sandys (later Baron Duncan-Sandys), British Conservative minister; Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, 1960–1962.

²⁵ Commonwealth Relations Office.

²⁶ Dr Hastings Banda, Nyasaland political leader; imprisoned in 1959 for his criticisms of and political activities against the Federation's leadership; released 1960; first President of the Republic of Malawi, 1966–1993.

²⁷ Kenneth Kaunda, Zambian African National Congress leader; also imprisoned in 1959 and released in 1960; first President of Zambia, 1964–1991.

²⁸ Joshua Nkomo, Zimbabwean political leader. He went on to found the Zimbabwe African People's Union in 1961, which was committed to liberating Rhodesia from white settler rule.

²⁹ William Harper, right-wing Southern Rhodesian MP; later a minister under Ian Smith.

³⁰ Sir Edgar Whitehead, United Federal Party Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, 1958–1962.

³¹ Ian Macleod, British Conservative minister; Secretary of State for the Colonies, 1959–1961.

³² This refers to the riots and political deadlock in Malta in 1958–1959 over the issue of integration with the United Kingdom. The Maltese Constitution was suspended and Britain assumed direct rule in March 1959.

³³ A right-wing party committed to preserving white minority rule. It later became the Rhodesian Front.

³⁴ John Drummond, 17th Earl of Perth; Minister of State for Colonial Affairs, 1957–1962.

³⁵ Cuthbert Alport (later Baron Alport), Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations, 1959–1961; British High Commissioner to the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1961–1963.

³⁶ Sir Henry Lintott, Deputy Under-Secretary, Commonwealth Relations Office, 1956–1963.

³⁷ Sir Ralph Hone, Head of the Legal Division, Commonwealth Relations Office, 1954–1961.

³⁸ Sir John Martin, Deputy Under-Secretary of State at the Colonial Office, 1956–1965.

³⁹ Southern Rhodesia.

⁴⁰ Northern Rhodesia.

⁴¹ Secretary of State.

⁴² The centre-right party of Sir Godfrey Huggins (later Viscount Malvern; Prime Minister of Southern Rhodesia, 1933–1953; first Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, 1953–1956) and Sir Roy Welensky.

⁴³ Julian Greenfield, Federation Minister under Huggins and Welensky.

⁴⁴ Executive Council.

⁴⁵ Harry Nkumbula, African political leader in Northern Rhodesia.

⁴⁶ Legislative Council.

⁴⁷ David Maxwell-Fyfe, Viscount (later Earl of) Kilmuir, British Conservative minister; Lord Chancellor, 1954–1962.

⁴⁸ Where they discussed, among other matters, South Africa's place in the Commonwealth.

⁴⁹ A violent 1950s uprising in Kenya by mainly Kikuyu people against British rule. The British inflicted torture and severe punishment on suspected rebels.

⁵⁰ Not included.