Part 4Civil partnership: Northern Ireland
Chapter 1Registration
Preliminaries to registration
I1144Place of registration
1
The place at which two people may register as civil partners of each other must be—
a
a registration office, or
b
a place approved under subsection (3).
2
Subsection (1) is subject to subsections (5) and (7).
3
A local registration authority may, in accordance with regulations under subsection (4), approve places where civil partnerships may be registered in its district.
4
Regulations under section 159 may make provision for or in connection with the approval of places under subsection (3), including provision as to—
a
the kinds of place in respect of which approvals may be granted,
b
the procedure to be followed in relation to applications for approval,
c
the considerations to be taken into account in determining whether to approve any places,
d
the duration and renewal of approvals (whether for one occasion or for a period),
e
the conditions that must or may be imposed on granting or renewing an approval,
f
the determination and charging of fees in respect of[en rule]
i
applications for the approval of places,
ii
the renewal of approvals, and
iii
the attendance by registrars at places approved under the regulations,
g
the circumstances in which a local registration authority must or may revoke or suspend an approval or vary any of the conditions imposed in relation to an approval,
h
the renewal of decisions made by virtue of the regulations,
i
appeals to a county court from decisions made by virtue of the regulations,
j
the notification to the Registrar General of all approvals granted, renewed, revoked, suspended or varied,
k
the notification to the registrar for the district in which a place approved under the regulations is situated of all approvals relating to such a place which are granted, renewed, revoked, suspended or varied,
l
the keeping by the Registrar General, registrars and local registration authorities of registers of places approved under the regulations, and
m
the issue by the Registrar General of guidance supplementing the provision made by the regulations.
5
If either of the parties to a proposed civil partnership gives the registrar a medical statement, the civil partnership may, with the approval of the Registrar General, be registered at any place where that party is.
6
In subsection (5) “medical statement”, in relation to any person, means a statement made in the prescribed form by a registered medical practitioner that in his opinion at the time the statement is made—
a
by reason of serious illness or serious bodily injury, that person ought not to move or be moved from the place where he is at that time, and
b
it is likely that it will be the case for at least the following 3 months that by reason of illness or disability the person ought not to move or be moved from that place.
7
If the Registrar General so directs, a registrar must register a civil partnership in a place specified in the direction.