Offences and proceedings
23.—(1) If it appears to a superintendent registrar or a registrar that any offence under or breach of the Act or the 1970 Act or, so far as they relate to marriages, the Perjury Act 1911(1) or the Forgery or Counterfeiting Act 1981(2) has been committed, he or she must report the matter to the Registrar General and must deliver to the Registrar General such documents in his or her possession relating to the offence or breach as the Registrar General may require.
(2) Except with the authority of the Registrar General, a superintendent registrar must not commence any proceedings in respect of an offence under section 76(1) or (2) of the Act(3).
Section 76(1) and (2) was amended by sections 38 and 46 of the Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48).