- Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As enacted)
Perjury Act 1911
You are here:
What Version
Advanced Features
- Show Geographical Extent(e.g. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland)
- Show Timeline of Changes
Opening Options
More Resources
Changes over time for: Section 3
Alternative versions:
Changes to legislation:
Perjury Act 1911, Section 3 is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 19 April 2024. There are changes that may be brought into force at a future date. Changes that have been made appear in the content and are referenced with annotations.
Changes to Legislation
Revised legislation carried on this site may not be fully up to date. Changes and effects are recorded by our editorial team in lists which can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. Where those effects have yet to be applied to the text of the legislation by the editorial team they are also listed alongside the legislation in the affected provisions. Use the ‘more’ link to open the changes and effects relevant to the provision you are viewing.
Changes and effects yet to be applied to the whole Act associated Parts and Chapters:
Whole provisions yet to be inserted into this Act (including any effects on those provisions):
- s. 4(1A) inserted by 2009 c. 24 Sch. 6 para. 19 (This S.I. is amended by S.I. 2019/1458, reg. 19(8))
3 False statements, &c. with reference to marriage. E+W
(1)If any person—
(a)for the purpose of procuring a marriage, or a certificate or licence for marriage, [F1or a marriage document or a marriage schedule,] knowingly and wilfully makes a false oath, or makes or signs a false declaration, notice or certificate required under any Act of Parliament for the time being in force relating to marriage; or
(b)knowingly and wilfully makes, or knowingly and wilfully causes to be made, for the purpose of being inserted in any register of marriage, [F2or register of conversions] a false statement as to any particular required by law to be known and registered relating to any marriage [F3or any civil partnership which is to be converted into a marriage]; or
(c)forbids the issue of any certificate or licence for marriage [F4or a marriage document or a marriage schedule,] by falsely representing himself to be a person whose consent to the marriage is required by law knowing such representation to be false, [F5or
(d)with respect to a declaration made under section 16(1A) or 27B(2) of the Marriage Act 1949—
(i)enters a caveat under subsection (2) of the said section 16, or
(ii)makes a statement mentioned in subsection (4) of the said section 27B,
which he knows to be false in a material particular.]
he shall be guilty of a misdemeanour, and, on conviction thereof on indictment, shall be liable to penal servitude for a term not exceeding seven years or to imprisonment, F6. . . for a term not exceeding two years, or to a fine or to both such penal servitude or imprisonment and fine [F7and on summary conviction thereof shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding [F8£100]].
(2)No prosecution for knowingly and wilfully making a false declaration for the purpose of procuring any marriage out of the district in which the parties or one of them dwell shall take place after the expiration of eighteen months from the solemnization of the marriage to which the declaration refers.
[F9(3)In subsection (1)(b), “register of conversions” means the register of conversions of civil partnerships into marriages kept by the Registrar General in accordance with section 9 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 and regulations made under that section.]
Textual Amendments
F1Words in s. 3(1)(a) inserted (4.5.2021) by The Registration of Marriages Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/411), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 50(2) (with Sch. 2)
F2Words in s. 3(1)(b) inserted (10.12.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) and Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3168), art. 1(2)(3), Sch. para. 2(2)(a)
F3Words in s. 3(1)(b) inserted (10.12.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) and Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3168), art. 1(2)(3), Sch. para. 2(2)(b)
F4Words in s. 3(1)(c) inserted (4.5.2021) by The Registration of Marriages Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/411), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 50(3) (with Sch. 2)
F5Word “or” and s. 3(1)(d) inserted by Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Act 1986 (c. 16, SIF 49:1), ss. 1(8), 4
F6Words omitted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1948 (c. 58), s. 1(2)
F7Words inserted by Criminal Justice Act 1925 (c. 86), s. 28(1)
F8Words substituted by Criminal Justice Act 1967 (c. 80), Sch. 3 Pt. I
F9S. 3(3) inserted (10.12.2014) by The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) and Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3168), art. 1(2)(3), Sch. para. 2(3)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 3 amended by Criminal Justice Act 1925 (c. 86), s. 28(3)
Options/Help
Print Options
PrintThe Whole Act
PrintThis Section only
Legislation is available in different versions:
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area.
Original (As Enacted or Made): The original version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
See additional information alongside the content
Geographical Extent: Indicates the geographical area that this provision applies to. For further information see ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.
Show Timeline of Changes: See how this legislation has or could change over time. Turning this feature on will show extra navigation options to go to these specific points in time. Return to the latest available version by using the controls above in the What Version box.
Opening Options
Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once
More Resources
Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
- the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
- lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
- confers power and blanket amendment details
- all formats of all associated documents
- correction slips
- links to related legislation and further information resources
Timeline of Changes
This timeline shows the different points in time where a change occurred. The dates will coincide with the earliest date on which the change (e.g an insertion, a repeal or a substitution) that was applied came into force. The first date in the timeline will usually be the earliest date when the provision came into force. In some cases the first date is 01/02/1991 (or for Northern Ireland legislation 01/01/2006). This date is our basedate. No versions before this date are available. For further information see the Editorial Practice Guide and Glossary under Help.
More Resources
Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:
- the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
- correction slips
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:
- lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
- confers power and blanket amendment details
- all formats of all associated documents
- links to related legislation and further information resources
All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. This site additionally contains content derived from EUR-Lex, reused under the terms of the Commission Decision 2011/833/EU on the reuse of documents from the EU institutions. For more information see the EUR-Lex public statement on re-use.