The duty imposed by subsection (3)(a) or (5)(a) to ensure a reproduction is delivered to a registrar may be discharged by sending a copy in an approved electronic form.

Subsection (10) applies if the reproduction is not delivered in accordance with the notice issued under subsection (8).

A person who is issued with a notice under subsection (10) must comply with the requirements of the notice within 8 days beginning with the day on which the notice was issued.

Where a registrar is satisfied that, so far as is reasonably practicable, a marriage document or marriage schedule reproduced under this section has been signed by the persons mentioned in subsection (2)(b) or (as the case may be) (4)(b), the reproduction is to be treated as a signed marriage document or (as the case may be) marriage schedule for all purposes under this Act (and see, in particular, subsections (10) to (12) of section 53D).

In this section—

• “relevant church official”, in relation to a marriage document, means—

  1. a

     the clergyman who solemnized the marriage, or

  2. b

     if the Registrar General is satisfied that clergyman is not available to carry out the direction under subsection (2), a person appointed by the bishop of the diocese to carry out such directions;

• “relevant original signatories” means—

  1. a

     in relation to a marriage document, the parties to the marriage and the witnesses, who signed the first marriage document in accordance with section 53B;

  2. b

     in relation to a marriage schedule, the parties to the marriage, the person by or before whom the marriage was solemnized if different to the specified person in relation to the marriage and the two witnesses, who signed the first marriage schedule in accordance with section 53C;

• “relevant person”, in relation to a marriage schedule, means—

  1. a

     the specified person in relation to the marriage,

  2. b

     if the superintendent registrar to whom the direction is given under subsection (4) is satisfied that the specified person is not available to arrange for the reproduction to be signed by the original signatories—

     1. i

        in the case of a marriage solemnized according to the rites of the Church of England, a person appointed by the bishop of the diocese to carry out the functions of a relevant person under this section,

     2. ii

        in the case of a marriage solemnized according to the usages of the Society of Friends, another officer of that Society in the registration district in which the marriage was solemnized,

     3. iii

        in the case of a marriage solemnized according to the usages of the Jews where both parties to the marriage are members of the same synagogue, another secretary of that synagogue,

     4. iv

        in the case of a marriage solemnized according to the usages of the Jews where the parties to the marriage are members of different synagogues, a secretary for either of those synagogues,

     5. v

        in the case of a marriage solemnized in a registered building without the presence of a registrar, an authorised person in relation to that building or of some other registered building in the same registration district or a registrar of that district, or

  3. c

     if the superintendent registrar is satisfied that there is no person falling within paragraph (a) or (b) available to arrange for the reproduction to be signed by the original signatories, a registrar in the registration district in which the marriage was solemnized;

• “relevant registrar” means a registrar in the registration district in which the marriage was solemnized;

• “the signing period” means 28 days beginning with—

  1. a

     in the case of a marriage document, the day on which the Registrar General gives the direction under subsection (2);

  2. b

     in the case of a marriage schedule, the day on which the superintendent registrar provides the reproduction to a relevant person and requires them in writing to arrange for the reproduction to be signed under subsection (4)(b) (and if the superintendent registrar does those things on different days, the later of those two days).