144Place of registrationN.I.
(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.
Commencement Information
I1S. 144 wholly in force at 5.12.2005; s. 144 not in force at Royal Assent see s. 263; s. 144(4)(6) in force at 5.9.2005 for certain purposes by S.I. 2005/2399, art. 2, Sch. and otherwise 5.12.2005 insofar as not already in force by S.I. 2005/3255, art. 2(1), Sch.; s. 144(1)-(3)(5)(7) in force at 5.12.2005 insofar as not already in force by S.I. 2005/3255, art. 2(1), Sch.