# Colonial Marriages Act 1865

28 & 29 Vict. c. 64 · enacted 29 June 1865 · revised to 1 February 1991

An Act to remove Doubts respecting the Validity of certain Marriages contracted in Her Majesty’s Possessions abroad.

## Introductory text

An Act to remove Doubts respecting the Validity of certain Marriages contracted in Her Majesty’s Possessions abroad.
[29th June 1865]

## 1 Colonial laws establishing validity of marriages to have effect throughout Her Majesty’s Dominions. Not to give effect to marriages unless parties are competent to contract marriage.

Every law made or to be made by the legislature of any such possession as aforesaid for the purpose of establishing the validity of any marriage or marriages contracted in such possession shall have and be deemed to have had from the date of the making of such law the same force and effect for the purpose aforesaid within all parts of Her Majesty’s dominions as such law may have had or may hereafter have within the possession for which the same was made: Provided that nothing in this law contained shall give any effect or validity to any marriage unless at the time of such marriage both of the parties thereto were, according to the law of England, competent to contract the same.

## 2 Definition of “legislature.”

In this Act the word “legislature” shall include any authority competent to make laws for any of Her Majesty’s possessions abroad, except the Parliament of the United Kingdom and Her Majesty in Council.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Vict/28-29/64 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/colonial-marriages-act-1865
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.