Following its June 2019 notification regarding changes to the registration of marriage, on 5 August the Faculty Office issued a report on the implementation of the provisions regarding the registration of marriage under the Civil Partnerships, Marriages and Deaths (Registration etc) Act 2019. The August report is reproduced below in its present form, including the changes made since its initial publication.

It notes that the General Register Office (GRO) is under pressure from ministers to bring these changes into effect as soon as possible; when first published, it was suggested that this should be by 2 December 2019, although this was changed to “before the end of the year”, (which then appeared to reflect the unrelated requirement within the Act to extend civil partnership to opposite-sex couples by the end of the year; the text below has been modified accordingly). A further update indicated that there was still a degree of uncertainty as the necessary Regulations had not yet been laid before Parliament.

The subsequent proroguing of Parliament, swiftly followed by its dissolution, has further delayed the opportunity for the necessary Regulations to be laid. As we noted in our 1 December 2019 round-up:

“The new Parliament will be summoned to meet on Tuesday 17 December, when the business will be the election of the Speaker and the swearing-in of members. Should this Prime Minister return, the State Opening of Parliament and the Queen’s Speech, with “reduced ceremonial” … will follow on Thursday 19 December. If there is a change of Government following the Election, it is anticipated that the Queen’s Speech would be in January on a more usual timetable; but this would be a matter for the incoming administration”.

On 9 August, the Church of England Church issued a statement on marriage registration changes, with links to the Faculty Office document. Continue reading →