Perjury (Northern Ireland) Order 1979

False statements, etc., with reference to marriage[F1 or civil partnership] N.I.

8.—(1) Any person who—

(a) for the purpose of procuring a marriage or a certificate or licence for marriage, knowingly and wilfully makes a false oath or makes or signs a false declaration, notice or certificate required under any enactment relating to marriage or to the registration of marriages; 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, a false statement as to any particular required by law to be known and registered relating to any marriage; or

(c) forbids the issue of any certificate or licence for marriage by falsely representing himself to be a person whose consent to the marriage is required by law, knowing such representation to be false,

shall be guilty of an offence.

[F1 (1A) Any person who—

(a) for the purpose of procuring the formation of a civil partnership or a document mentioned in paragraph (1B)—

(i) makes or signs a declaration required under Part 4 or 5 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004; or

(ii) gives a notice or certificate required under Part 4 or 5 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004,

knowing that the declaration, notice or certificate is false;

(b) for the purpose of a record being made in any register relating to civil partnerships—

(i) makes a statement as to any information which is required to be registered under Part 4 or 5 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004; or

(ii) causes such a statement to be made,

knowing that the statement is false;

(c) forbids the issue of a document mentioned in paragraph (1B)(a) or (b) by representing himself to be a person whose consent to a civil partnership between a child and another person is required under Part 4 or 5 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004, knowing the representation to be false,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(1B) The documents are–

(a) a civil partnership schedule;

(b) a document required by an Order in Council under section 210 or 211 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 as an authority for two people to register as civil partners of each other;

(c) a certificate of no impediment under section 240 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004.]

(2) A person guilty of an offence under paragraph (1)[F1 or (1A)] shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding[F2 level 3 on the standard scale];

(b) on conviction on indictment to imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years, or to a fine, or to both.

F1 2004 c. 33

F2 1984 NI 3