Foreign Marriage Act 1892 (repealed)

21 Power to make marriage regulations. U.K.

(1) Her Majesty the Queen in Council may make regulations (in this Act referred to as the marriage regulations):—

(a) Prohibiting or restricting the exercise by marriage officers of their powers under this Act in cases where the exercise of those powers appears to Her Majesty to be inconsistent with international law or the comity of nations, or in places where sufficient facilities appear to Her Majesty to exist without the exercise of those powers, for the solemnization of marriages to which a [F1 United Kingdom national] is a party; and

(b) Determining what offices, chapels, or other places are, for the purposes of marriage under this Act, to be deemed to be part of the official house or the office of a marriage officer; and

(c) Modifying in special cases or classes of cases the requirements of this Act as to residence and notice, so far as such modification appears to Her Majesty to be consistent with the observance of due precautions against clandestine marriages; and

(d) Prescribing the forms to be used under this Act; and

(e) Adapting this Act . . . F2 to marriages by or before a governor, high commissioner, resident, or other officer, and authorizing the appointment of a person to act under this Act in the place of a high commissioner or resident; and

(f) Determining who is to be the marriage officer for the purpose of a marriage in the official house of a British ambassador, . . . F2 whether such officer is described in the regulations or named in pursuance thereof, and authorizing such officer to act without any marriage warrant; and

(g) Determining the conditions under which and the mode in which marriages solemnized in accordance with the local law of a foreign country may be registered under this Act; and

(h) Making such provisions as seem necessary or proper for carrying into effect this Act or any marriage regulations; and

(i) Varying or revoking any marriage regulations previously made.

(2) All regulations purporting to be made in pursuance of this section may be made either generally or with reference to any particular case or class of cases, and shall be . . . F3 laid before both Houses of Parliament, . . . F3

(3) Any marriage regulations which dispense for any reason, whether residence out of the district or otherwise, with the requirements of this Act as to residence and notice, may require as a condition or consequence of the dispensation, the production of such notice, certificate, or document, and the taking of such oath, and may authorize the publication or grant of such notice, certificate, or document, and the charge of such fees as may be prescribed by the regulations; and the provisions of this Act, . . . F4 , shall apply as if the said notice, certificate, or document were a notice, and such oath were an oath, within the meaning of those provisions.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted Foreign Marriage (Amendment) Act 1988 (c. 44, SIF 49:1), s. 1(3)(b)

F2 Words repealed by Foreign Marriage Act 1947 (c. 33), s. 4(2)

F3 Words repealed by Statute Law (Repeals) Act 1986 (c. 12), s. 1(1), Sch. 1 Pt. XII

F4 Words repealed by Foreign Marriage (Amendment) Act 1988 (c. 44, SIF 49:1), s. 7(2), Sch.

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 21(2) amended by Statutory Instruments Act 1946 (c. 36), s. 4(3)