The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) (Jurisdiction and Recognition of Judgments) (Scotland) Regulations 2014

PART 2 RECOGNITION AND REFUSAL OF RECOGNITION OF A JUDGMENT OF A COURT OF A MEMBER STATE

Interpretation and application

3.—(1) In this Part “judgment” means a judgment of a court of a member State other than the United Kingdom which orders the divorce of, annulment of the marriage of, or the judicial separation of a married same sex couple.

(2) In paragraph (1) a “court of a member State” means any authority, whether judicial or administrative, in a member State with jurisdiction in those matters falling within the scope of these Regulations.

(3) This Part applies to all judgments even if the date of the judgment is earlier than the date on which paragraph 2 of Schedule 1B to the Domicile and Matrimonial Proceedings Act 1973 and these Regulations come into force.

Recognition of a judgment

4.—(1) Subject to regulation 5, where a judgment is (or has been) given in respect of a marriage of a same sex couple, that judgment is to be recognised.

(2) Any interested party may apply to either the Court of Session or the sheriff court for a declarator of recognition or non-recognition of a judgment.

(3) Where the recognition of a judgment is raised as an incidental issue in proceedings before a court, that court may determine the issue.

Refusal of recognition of judgment

5.—(1) Recognition of the validity of a judgment may be refused if the judgment was obtained at a time when it was irreconcilable with a decision determining the question of the subsistence or validity of the marriage—

(a) previously given by a court of civil jurisdiction in Scotland; or

(b) previously given by a court elsewhere and recognised or entitled to be recognised in Scotland.

(2) Recognition of the validity of a judgment may be refused if the judgment was obtained at a time when the law of Scotland did not recognise marriages of same sex couples.

(3) Paragraph (2) does not prevent the recognition of a judgment if, at the time the judgment was obtained, the marriage would have been treated as a subsisting civil partnership according to the law of Scotland.

(4) Recognition of the validity of a judgment may be refused if—

(a) in the case of a judgment obtained by means of proceedings, it was obtained—

(i) without such steps having been taken for giving notice of the proceedings to a spouse as, having regard to the nature of the proceedings and all the circumstances, should reasonably have been taken; or

(ii) without a spouse having been given (for any reason other than lack of notice) such opportunity to take part in the proceedings as, having regard to those matters, that spouse should reasonably have been given; or

(b) in the case of a judgment obtained otherwise than by means of proceedings, there is no official document certifying the judgment is effective under the law of the country in which it was obtained; or

(c) in either case, recognition of the judgment would be manifestly contrary to public policy.

(5) In this regulation “official”, in relation to a document certifying that a judgment is effective under the law of any country, means issued by a person or a body appointed or recognised for the purpose under that law.

Jurisdiction and review

6.—(1) The court may not review the jurisdiction of the court which issued the judgment.

(2) A judgment may not be reviewed as to its substance.

Differences in applicable law

7.  The recognition of a judgment may not be refused because the law of Scotland would not allow divorce, declarator of nullity or judicial separation on the same facts.

Sist of proceedings

8.  Where recognition is sought of a judgment given in a member State and an appeal against that judgment has been lodged in that member State, the court may sist the proceedings.