The Civil Partnership, Marriage Between Persons of Different Sexes and Same Sex Marriage (Prescribed Bodies) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

Section 94A(1)(a)(i) of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 (“the 2004 Act”) enables the Scottish Ministers to prescribe religious or belief bodies so that their celebrants, or persons recognised by the body as entitled to register civil partnerships, are able to register civil partnerships without the need to be registered individually as approved celebrants or temporarily authorised under the 2004 Act.

The Civil Partnership (Prescribed Bodies) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 prescribe the Scottish Unitarian Association. Regulation 2 amends those Regulations with the addition of Humanist Society Scotland as a prescribed body.

Section 8 of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 (“the 1977 Act”) enables the Scottish Ministers to prescribe religious or belief bodies so that their ministers, clergymen, pastors, priests or other celebrants, or persons recognised by the body as entitled to solemnise marriage, are able to solemnise marriages without the need to be registered individually as approved celebrants or temporarily authorised under the 1977 Act. Separate provision may be made for marriage between persons of different sexes and same sex marriage.

The Marriage Between Persons of Different Sexes (Prescribed Bodies) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 prescribe a number of religious or belief bodies. Regulation 3 amends those Regulations with the addition of Humanist Society Scotland as a prescribed body. Regulation 3 also corrects a minor typographical error by inserting a missing word – “section”.

The Same Sex Marriage (Prescribed Bodies) (Scotland) Regulations 2014 prescribe the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and the Scottish Unitarian Association. Regulation 4 amends those Regulations with the addition of Humanist Society Scotland as a prescribed body.