Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.  (1)  This Order may be cited as the Civil Partnership (Registration Abroad and Certificates) (Amendment) Order 2014 and comes into force on 3rd June 2014.

(2) In this Order "the 2005 Order" means the Civil Partnership (Registration Abroad and Certificates) Order 2005(2).

Amendments to the 2005 Order

2.  The 2005 Order is amended as follows.

3.  In article 5(3)(e) for "residence" substitute "address".

4.  For article 6(1) substitute "The registration officer must retain every notice received under article 5(1)."

5.  In article 10-

(a)in paragraph (2) from "at his official house" to the end substitute "in consular premises, with open doors in the presence of two witnesses";

(b)in paragraph (4)(b)(iii) for "residence" substitute "address";

(c)in paragraph (4)(c)(ii) for "residence" substitute "address";

(d)omit paragraph (5);

(e)in paragraph (6)-

(i)omit "house or other";

(ii)for "the official house" substitute "consular premises".

6.  In article 17-

(a)in paragraphs (2) and (3) for "twenty-one" in the first place it occurs substitute "three";

(b)in paragraphs (2) and (3) for "twenty-one" in the second place it occurs substitute "seven".

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Civil Partnerships (Registration Abroad and Certificates) Order 2005 to alter the requirement on parties to the proposed consular civil partnership and their witnesses from a requirement to provide details of residence to a requirement to provide details of address. The Order also updates the requirement to keep copies of the notice of intention to form a consular civil partnership to allow for electronic storage, and removes the time restrictions relating to when a consular civil partnership may be registered. This mirrors the new provisions relating to consular marriages set out in the Consular Marriages and Marriages Under Foreign Law Order 2014 ("the 2014 Order").

In addition this Order reduces the residency requirement before a United Kingdom national may apply for a certificate of no impediment for an overseas relationship under local law from 21 days to three days and the notice period before the certificate may be issued from 21 days to seven days. This mirrors provisions for certificates of no impediment in relation to marriages under local law set out in the 2014 Order.