Access to information relating to marriages and civil partnershipsN.I.
23—(1) In Article 35 of the Marriage (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 (NI 3) (searches), after paragraph (4) there shall be added the following paragraphs—
“(5) Regulations may make provision for any person to have access, on payment of the prescribed fee, to any information contained in any marriage registration records.
(6) Regulations under paragraph (5) may provide that the relevant period must have expired in relation to the information.
(7) In paragraph (6) “the relevant period” in relation to a marriage means the period of 75 years from the date on which the marriage was solemnised or such other period as may be prescribed.
(8) Regulations under paragraph (5) may provide for the Registrar General—
(a)to make arrangements with any person for the purpose of providing access to information as mentioned in that paragraph; and
(b)for that purpose to transfer information to that person subject to conditions (including conditions as to the making of payments by that person to the Registrar General).”.
(2) In section 155 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33) (searches), after subsection (5) there shall be added the following subsections—
“(6) Regulations under section 159 may make provision for any person to have access, on payment of the prescribed fee, to any information contained in any civil partnership registration records.
(7) Regulations under section 159 may provide that the relevant period must have expired in relation to the information.
(8) In subsection (7) “the relevant period” in relation to a civil partnership means the period of 75 years from the date on which the civil partnership was registered or such other period as may be prescribed.
(9) Regulations under section 159 may provide for the Registrar General—
(a)to make arrangements with any person for the purpose of providing access to information as mentioned in subsection (6); and
(b)for that purpose to transfer information to that person subject to conditions (including conditions as to the making of payments by that person to the Registrar General).”.
Commencement Information
I1S. 23 in operation at 16.11.2012 by S.R. 2012/406, art. 2, Sch.