Marriage Act 1983

7 Offences

(1) Any person who knowingly—

(a) purports to solemnize a marriage on the authority of the Registrar General's licence in any place other than that specified in the licence ; or

(b) purports to solemnize a marriage on the authority of that licence without the presence of the registrar of the district in which it is solemnized, unless the marriage is solemnized in accordance with the rites of the Roman Catholic Church; or

(c) solemnizes a marriage on the authority of that licence at any other time than between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.; or

(d) purports to solemnize a marriage on the authority of that licence after the expiration of three months beginning on the day on which notice of the marriage is entered in the marriage notice book under section 14 of the Marriages Act, as applied by Schedule 2 to this Act,

shall be guilty of an offence and liable—

(i) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £1,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or to both;

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

(2) No prosecution under this section shall be commenced after the expiration of three years from the commission of the offence.