Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Registration of Marriages Regulations 2015 and the Civil Partnership (Registration Provisions) Regulations 2005, in consequence of amendments made by the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 to the Marriage Act 1949 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

Section 75(3)(a) of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 inserts new paragraph (c) into section 27A(3) of the Marriage Act 1949, adding a requirement for the statement of the responsible authority, which must accompany a detained person’s notice of marriage, to state whether the detained person is serving a whole life sentence and if so, whether they are subject to a whole life order.

Section 76(7) of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 inserts new paragraph (c) into section 19(4) of the Civil Partnership Act 2004, adding the same requirement to the supporting statement which must accompany a detained person’s notice of proposed civil partnership.

Regulation 2 replaces Forms 8 and 8(w), prescribed by the Registration of Marriages Regulations 2015, with new forms 1 and 2 in the Schedule to these Regulations.

Regulation 3 replaces Forms 7 and 7(w), prescribed by the Civil Partnership (Registration Provisions) Regulations 2005, with new forms 3 and 4 in the Schedule to these Regulations.

The Welsh language forms (Forms 2 and 4 in the Schedule to these Regulations) are prescribed under the power in section 26(3) of the Welsh Language Act 1993 to prescribe separate forms of a document or words, in Welsh and English, and forms partly in Welsh and partly in English, for use in the circumstances prescribed by the enabling legislation.

These Regulations are made by the Registrar General with the approval of the Secretary of State in line with usual practice, rather than under the general power to make transitional provision in the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024.

A full impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument as no, or no significant, impact on the private, voluntary sector or community bodies is foreseen.