{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-marriage-northern-ireland-order-2003/article-2",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-marriage-northern-ireland-order-2003/article-2.json",
  "legislation": "ukdsi/2003/0110442903",
  "legislation_title": "The Marriage (Northern Ireland) Order 2003",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/draft-marriage-northern-ireland-order-2003",
  "path": "article/2",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "2",
  "heading": "Interpretation",
  "text": "(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (c. 33) applies to this Order as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.\n(2) In this Order—\n“civil marriage” means a marriage solemnised by a person appointed under Article 31;\n“the Department” means the Department of Finance and Personnel;\n“district” means a registration district within the meaning of Article 30(1);\n“marriage notice” has the meaning given by Article 3(2);\n“marriage notice book” has the meaning given by Article 4(2);\n“medical practitioner” means a fully registered person within the meaning of the Medical Act 1983 (c. 54);\n“officiant” means a person registered under Article 11 or temporarily authorised under Article 14;\n“prescribed”, except in relation to a fee, means prescribed by regulations and in relation to a fee means prescribed by order under Article 37;\n“registrar”, except in Article 8, has the meaning given by Article 3(2);\n“regulations” means regulations made by the Department;\n“religious body” means an organised group of people meeting regularly for common religious worship;\n“religious marriage” means a marriage solemnised by an officiant;\n“statutory provision” has the meaning given by section 1(f) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 (c. 33);\n“young person” means a person who is over the age of 16 but under the age of 18.\n(3) Regulations may provide for references in this Order to a person solemnising a marriage to be construed in prescribed cases as such person as may be prescribed.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukdsi/2003/0110442903/article/2",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-30T15:25:43.003851+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}