Marriage (Registrar General’s Licence) Act 1970

1 Marriages which may be solemnised by Registrar General’s licence.E+W

(1)Subject to the provisions of subsection (2) below, any marriage which may be solemnised on the authority of [F1a marriage schedule] may be solemnised on the authority of the Registrar General’s licence [F2elsewhere than at a registered building, the office of a superintendent registrar or approved premises]:

Provided that any such marriage shall not be solemnised according to the rites of the Church of England or the Church in Wales.

(2)The Registrar General shall not issue any licence for the solemnising of a marriage as is mentioned in subsection (1) above unless he is satisfied that one of the persons to be married is seriously ill and is not expected to recover and cannot be moved to a place at which under the provisions of the M1Marriage Act 1949 (hereinafter called the “principal Act”) the marriage could be solemnised [F3(disregarding for this purpose the provisions of that Act relating to marriages in pursuance of section 26(1)(dd) [F4or 26B(6)] of that Act)].

[F5(3)A marriage of a same sex couple according to religious rites or usages may not be solemnized in accordance with this Act unless the relevant governing authority has given written consent to marriages of same sex couples according to those religious rites or usages.

(4)For that purpose—

  • “ relevant governing authority ” means the person or persons recognised by the members of the relevant religious organisation as competent for the purpose of giving consent for the purposes of this section;

  • “ relevant religious organisation ” means the religious organisation according to whose rites or usages the marriage is to be solemnized. ]

Textual Amendments

F2 Words in s. 1(1) substituted (1.4.1995) by 1994 c. 34 , s. 1(3) , Sch. para. 9 ; S.I. 1995/424 , art. 2(2)(c)

Marginal Citations