Part 4Civil partnership: Northern Ireland

Chapter 6Miscellaneous

207Fatal accidents claims

(1)

Amend the Fatal Accidents (Northern Ireland) Order 1977 (S.I. 1977/1251 (N.I. 18)) as follows.

(2)

In Article 2(2) (meaning of “dependant”), after sub-paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa)

the civil partner or former civil partner of the deceased;”.

(3)

In sub-paragraph (b)(iii) of Article 2(2), after “wife” insert “or civil partner”.

(4)

After sub-paragraph (f) of Article 2(2) insert—

“(fa)

any person (not being a child of the deceased) who, in the case of any civil partnership in which the deceased was at any time a civil partner, was treated by the deceased as a child of the family in relation to that civil partnership;”.

(5)

After Article 2(2A) insert—

“(2B)

The reference to the former civil partner of the deceased in paragraph (2)(aa) includes a reference to a person whose civil partnership with the deceased has been annulled as well as a person whose civil partnership with the deceased has been dissolved.”

(6)

In Article 2(3)(b), for “by affinity” substitute “by marriage or civil partnership”.

(7)

In Article 3A(2) (persons for whose benefit claim for bereavement damages may be made)—

(a)

in sub-paragraph (a), after “wife or husband” insert “or civil partner”, and

(b)

in sub-paragraph (b), after “was never married” insert “or a civil partner”.

(8)

In Article 5 (assessment of damages), in paragraph (3A), after “wife” insert “or civil partner”.