The Marriage of Same Sex Couples (Conversion of Civil Partnership) Regulations 2014

Conversion on secular premises

11.—(1) This regulation applies if the parties to a civil partnership wish to convert their civil partnership into a marriage—

(a) in a register office (otherwise than in accordance with the standard procedure in regulation 6); or

(b) on premises approved for the solemnization of marriages under section 46A of the 1949 Act(1) (“approved premises”).

(2) The superintendent registrar referred to in regulation 10(2) must either—

(a) if the conversion is to take place in the superintendent registrar’s registration district, arrange with the parties, on payment by the parties of the fee for a conversion on secular premises (in addition to the fee payable under regulation 10(2)(d)), to attend at a place mentioned in paragraph (1) to sign the conversion declaration in accordance with regulation 3(1); or

(b) if the conversion is to take place in a different registration district, notify the parties and the superintendent registrar of that registration district that the requirements of regulation 10(2) are met in respect of the parties to the civil partnership.

(3) On receipt of a notification under paragraph (2)(b), and on payment by the parties of the fee for a conversion on secular premises, the superintendent registrar of the registration district in which the conversion is to take place must arrange with the parties to attend at a place mentioned in paragraph (1) to sign the conversion declaration in accordance with regulation 3(1).

(4) No religious service may be used at a conversion in accordance with this regulation.

(5) The fee for a conversion on secular premises referred to in paragraphs (2)(a) and (3)—

(a) is payable to the superintendent registrar of the registration district in which the conversion is to take place;

(b) is of an amount to be determined by the authority as reasonably representing all the costs to it of providing a superintendent registrar to attend at the conversion; and

(c) may be reduced in accordance with regulation 16;

(6) In this regulation,

“authority” means the local authority in whose area the register office or approved premises are situated.

(1)

1949 c. 76; section 46A was inserted by section 1(2) of the Marriage Act 1994 (c. 34). There are amendments to the section, not relevant here.