Marriage Act 1955

2 Interpretation

• (1) In this section, unless the context otherwise requires,—

  Commonwealth country includes a territory for whose international relations the Government of a Commonwealth country is responsible

  Marriage celebrant means a person authorised to act as a marriage celebrant under this Act

  Minister means the Minister of the Crown who, under the authority of any warrant or with the authority of the Prime Minister, is for the time being responsible for the administration of this Act:

  Minister: this definition was inserted, as from 1 October 1995, by section 10(3) Department of Justice (Restructuring) Act 1995 (1995 No 39).

  minor means a person under the age of 18 years

  minor: this definition was inserted, as from 26 April 2005, by section 3 Marriage Amendment Act 2005 (2005 No 15). See also section 4(2) Age of Majority Act 1970 (1970 No 137).

  New Zealand representative means a person who is for the time being a head of mission or head of post (within the meaning of section 2 of the Foreign Affairs Act 1988) or a person assigned or reassigned to service overseas under section 6 of that Act

  Service marriage means a marriage solemnised outside New Zealand at a time when the person who solemnised it, and at least one party to it, is a member of a naval, military, or air force raised in New Zealand, and the person who solemnised it—

  • (a) is both a chaplain and a marriage celebrant; or

  • (b) in the case only of a marriage solemnised before 1 September 1995, is a person duly authorised to solemnise it.

  (2) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms Registrar-General, Deputy Registrar-General, and Registrar have the meanings assigned to them by section 2 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995.

  Commonwealth country: this definition in the original section 2 was substituted, as from 8 March 1985, by section 2 Marriage Amendment Act 1985 (1985 No 27).

  New Zealand representative: the original definition in the original section 2 was amended, as from 1 March 1970, pursuant to section 2(1)(b) Foreign Affairs Amendment Act 1969, by substituting the words “the Foreign Affairs Act 1943” for the words “the External Affairs Act 1943”.

  New Zealand representative: this definition in the original section 2 was substituted, as from 8 March 1985, by section 2 Marriage Amendment Act 1985 (1985 No 27).

  Registrar: this definition in the original section 2 was amended by section 2(2) Marriage Amendment Act 1982 (1982 No 81) by inserting the words “; and except in section 5 of this Act, includes a Deputy Registrar appointed under this Act”

  Section 2 was substituted, as from 1 September 1995, by section 92 Births, Deaths, and Marriages Registration Act 1995 (1995 No 16).

  Section 2(1) service marriage paragraph (b): amended, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).

  Section 2(2): amended, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).