The Civil Partnership (Armed Forces) Order 2005

Commanding officers' certificates of no impediment

14.—(1) This article applies where two people wish to register as civil partners of each other in England and Wales and one of them is an officer, seaman or marine borne on the books of one of Her Majesty’s ships at sea (“the applicant”) and the other is resident in England and Wales.

(2) The applicant shall give signed notice of his intention to form the civil partnership with the other person in England and Wales to the captain or other officer in command of the ship (“the officer”) containing the following information—

(a) name,

(b) surname,

(c) whether he or she is or has been a civil partner or married,

(d) the name and surname of the proposed civil partner.

(3) The notice must include a declaration signed by the applicant in the presence of the officer declaring that he believes that there is no impediment of kindred or affinity or other lawful hindrance to the formation of the civil partnership. The officer must attest the declaration by adding his name, description and place of residence.

(4) The officer may demand evidence of any of the information contained in the signed notice.

(5) The officer shall file every such notice given within the archives of his ship.

(6) The officer having been given the notice at paragraph (2) and having attested the declaration at paragraph (3) may issue a certificate that no legal impediment to the formation of the civil partnership has been shown to the officer to exist.