Part VI General
75 Offences relating to solemnization of marriages.
1
Any person who knowingly and wilfully—
F12a
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b
solemnizes a marriage according to the rites of the Church of England without banns of matrimony having been duly published (not being a marriage solemnized on the authority of a special licence, a common licence or F20a marriage schedule);
c
solemnizes a marriage according to the said rites (not being a marriage by special licence F1or a marriage in pursuance of section 26(1)(dd) of this Act) in any place other than a church or other building in which banns may be published;
d
solemnizes a marriage according to the said rites falsely pretending to be in Holy Orders;
shall be guilty of felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years.
2
Any person who knowingly and wilfully—
C1a
solemnizes a marriage (not being a marriage by special licence, a marriage according to the usages of the Society of Friends or a marriage between two persons professing the Jewish religion according to the usages of the Jews) in any place other than—
i
a church or other building in which marriages may be solemnized according to the rites of the Church of England, or
F5aa
solemnizes a marriage purporting to be in pursuance of section 26(1)(bb) of this Act on premises that are not approved premises;
b
solemnizes a marriage in any such registered building as aforesaid (not being a marriage in the presence of an authorised person) in the absence of a registrar of the district in which the registered building is situated;
F6bb
solemnizes a marriage in pursuance of section 26(1)(dd) F14or 26B(6) of this Act, otherwise than according to the rites of the Church of England, in the absence of a registrar of the registration district in which the place where the marriage is solemnized is situated;
c
solemnizes a marriage in the office of a superintendent registrar in the absence of a registrar of the district in which the office is situated;
F7cc
solemnizes a marriage on approved premises in pursuance of section 26(1)(bb) of this Act in the absence of a registrar of the district in which the premises are situated;
d
solemnizes a marriage on the authority of F21a marriage schedule when none of the conditions in section 31(3) is met; or
e
shall be guilty of felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.
F222A
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3
A superintendent registrar who knowingly and wilfully—
F16a
issues a marriage schedule when none of the conditions in section 31(3) is met;
b
F24c
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d
shall be guilty of felony and shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.
4
No prosecution under this section shall be commenced after the expiration of three years from the commission of the offence.
5
Any reference in subsection (2) of this section to a registered building shall be construed as including a reference to any chapel registered under section seventy F15or 70A of this Act.