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Marriage Act 1949

Status:

This is the original version (as it was originally enacted).

  1. Introductory Text

  2. PART I Restrictions on Marriage

    1. 1.Marriages within prohibited degrees

    2. 2.Marriages of persons under sixteen

    3. 3.Marriages of persons under twenty-one

    4. 4.Hours for solemnization of marriages

  3. PART II Marriage according to Rites of the Church of England

    1. Preliminary

      1. 5.Methods of authorising marriages

    2. Marriage by banns

      1. 6.Place of publication of banns

      2. 7.Time and manner of publication of banns

      3. 8.Notice to clergyman before publication of banns

      4. 9.Persons by whom banns may be published

      5. 10.Publication of banns commenced in one church and completed in another

      6. 11.Certificates of publication of banns

      7. 12.Solemnization of marriage after publication of banns

      8. 13.Publication of banns in Scotland, Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland

      9. 14.Publication of banns on board His Majesty's ships

    3. Marriage by Common Licence

      1. 15.Places in which marriages may be solemnized by common licence

      2. 16.Provisions as to common licences

    4. Marriage under superintendent registrar's certificate

      1. 17.Marriage under superintendent registrar's certificate

    5. Publication of banns and solemnization of marriages during disuse of churches

      1. 18.Publication of banns and solemnization of marriages during the repair and rebuilding of churches

      2. 19.Publication of banns and solemnization of marriage where church injured by war damage

    6. Licensing of chapels for publication of banns and solemnization of marriages

      1. 20.Licensing of chapels for publication of banns and solemnization of marriages for persons residing in specified district

      2. 21.Authorising of publication of banns and solemnization of marriages in churches and chapels of extra parochial places

    7. Miscellaneous Provisions

      1. 22.Witnesses

      2. 23.Benefices held in plurality

      3. 24.Proof of residence not necessary to validity of marriage by banns or common licence

      4. 25.Void marriages

  4. PART III Marriage under Superintendent Registrar's Certificate

    1. Issue of certificates

      1. 26.Marriages which may be solemnized on authority of superintendent registrar's certificate

      2. 27.Notice of marriage

      3. 28.Declaration to accompany notice of marriage

      4. 29.Caveat against grant of certificate or licence

      5. 30.Forbidding of issue of certificate

      6. 31.Marriage under certificate without licence

      7. 32.Marriage under certificate by licence

      8. 33.Period of validity of certificate and licence

      9. 34.Marriages normally to be solemnized in registration district in which one of parties resides

      10. 35.Marriages in registration district in which neither party resides

      11. 36.Superintendent registrar to issue licences only for marriages to be solemnized in his registration district

      12. 37.One party resident in Scotland

      13. 38.One party resident in Northern Ireland

      14. 39.Issue of certificates on board His Majesty's ships

      15. 40.Forms of certificates to be issued by Registrar General

    2. Marriages in registered buildings

      1. 41.Registration of buildings

      2. 42.Cancellation of registration and substitution of another building

      3. 43.Appointment of authorised persons

      4. 44.Solemnization of marriage in registered building

    3. Marriages in register offices

      1. 45.Solemnization of marriage in register office

      2. 46.Register office marriage followed by religious ceremony

    4. Marriages according to usages of Society of Friends

      1. 47.Marriages according to the usages of the Society of Friends

    5. Miscellaneous Provisions

      1. 48.Proof of certain matters not necessary to validity of marriages

      2. 49.Void marriages

      3. 50.Person to whom certificate to be delivered

      4. 51.Fees of registrars for attending marriages

      5. 52.Provision for marriages in Welsh language

  5. PART IV Registration of Marriages

    1. 53.Persons by whom marriages are to be registered

    2. 54.Provision of marriage register books by Registrar General

    3. 55.Manner of registration of marriages

    4. 56.Power to ask for particulars of marriage

    5. 57.Quarterly returns to be made to superintendent registrar

    6. 58.Quarterly returns to be made by superintendent registrar to Registrar General

    7. 59.Custody of register books

    8. 60.Filled register books

    9. 61.Correction of errors in register books

    10. 62.Disposal of register books on church ceasing to be used for solemnization of marriages

    11. 63.Searches in register books

    12. 64.Searches of indexes kept by superintendent registrars

    13. 65.Searches of indexes kept by Registrar General

    14. 66.Sending documents by post

    15. 67.Interpretation of Part IV

  6. PART V Marriages in Naval, Military, and Air Force Chapels

    1. 68.Solemnization of marriages in naval, military and air force chapels

    2. 69.Licensing of chapels for marriages according to rites of Church of England

    3. 70.Registration of chapels for marriages otherwise than according to rites of Church of England

    4. 71.Evidence of marriages under Part V

  7. PART VI General

    1. 72.Supplementary provisions as to marriages in usual place of worship

    2. 73.Lists of licensed chapels and registered buildings

    3. 74.Regulations

    4. 75.Offences relating to solemnization of marriages

    5. 76.Offences relating to registration of marriages

    6. 77.Offences by authorised persons

    7. 78.Interpretation

    8. 79.Repeals and savings

    9. 80.Short title, extent and commencement

  8. SCHEDULES

    1. FIRST SCHEDULE

      KINDRED AND AFFINITY

      1. PART I

        1. Prohibited degrees of relationship

      2. PART II

        1. Statutory exceptions from prohibited degrees of relationship

    2. SECOND SCHEDULE

      CONSENTS REQUIRED TO THE MARRIAGE OF AN INFANT BY COMMON LICENCE OR SUPERINTENDENT REGISTRAR'S CERTIFICATE

    3. THIRD SCHEDULE

      CAPACITIES REFERRED TO IN SECTION 68 (2) (d) OF THIS ACT

      1. PART I Naval Forces

      2. PART II Military Forces

      3. PART III Air Forces

    4. FOURTH SCHEDULE

      PROVISIONS OF ACT WHICH ARE EXCLUDED OR MODIFIED IN THEIR APPLICATION TO NAVAL, MILITARY AND AIR FORCE CHAPELS

      1. PART I Exclusion of Provisions relating to Marriages according to the Rites of the Church of England

      2. PART II Modification of Provisions relating to Marriages according to the Rites of the Church of England

      3. PART III Exclusion of Provisions relating to Marriages otherwise than according to the Rites of the Church of England

      4. PART IV Modification of Provisions relating to Marriages otherwise than according to the Rites of the Church of England

    5. FIFTH SCHEDULE

      ENACTMENTS REPEALED

      1. PART I

        1. Acts of Parliament repealed

      2. PART II

        1. Church Assembly Measures repealed

    6. SIXTH SCHEDULE

      PROVISIONS OF ACT WHICH DO NOT EXTEND TO WALES.

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