The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020

Temporary authorisation to solemnise religious marriage

8.—(1) Article 14 of the Marriage Order (temporary authorisation to solemnise religious marriage) is amended as follows.

(2) After paragraph (1) insert—

“(1A) The Registrar General must not under paragraph (1) authorise a member of a religious body to solemnise marriages of parties who are of the same sex unless the Registrar General—

(a) has received written notice of the consent of the body’s governing authority to the member solemnising marriages of parties who are of the same sex, and

(b) has not received written notice of withdrawal of that consent.”.

(3) After paragraph (2) insert—

“(2A) An authorisation under paragraph (1)(b) must state whether it is—

(a) for marriages of parties who are not of the same sex,

(b) for marriages of parties who are of the same sex, or

(c) for both those descriptions of marriages.

(2B) Where—

(a) an authorisation under paragraph (1)(b) is granted before 1st September 2020, and

(b) the specified period includes the whole or part of 1st September 2020 or of any later day,

then, for so much of the specified period as is on or after 1st September 2020, the authorisation has effect as an authorisation only for marriages of parties who are not of the same sex.

(2C) Where an authorisation under paragraph (1)(a) is granted before 1st September 2020 and a marriage covered by the authorisation has not been solemnised before that day then, on and after that day, the authorisation has effect in relation to the marriage only if, immediately before the marriage, the parties are not of the same sex.

(2D) Consent for the purposes of paragraph (1A)(a), or its withdrawal, may be—

(a) for solemnisations by persons who are, or who from time to time are, of a particular description, or

(b) for solemnisations by a person or persons identified by name.”.