Cap. 255 Art. 2Interpretation.

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires -

"act of marriage" means the act of marriage drawn up and completed in accordance with article 293 of the Civil Code;

"Agreement" means the Agreement between the Holy See and

Malta on the Recognition of Civil Effects to Canonical Marriages and to the Decisions of the Ecclesiastical Authorities and Tribunals about the Same Marriages, as well as the Protocol of Application thereto, both signed in Malta on the 3rd February 1993, as well as the Third Additional Protocol thereto signed in Malta on the 27th January 2014, which Agreement and protocols are reproduced in the Schedule to this Act; "Canon law" means the Code of Canon Law promulgated by the competent organs of the Catholic Church and any other rule of law sohowever called of the said Church relative to marriage; "catholic marriage" means a marriage celebrated in accordance with the norms and formalities of Canon Law or with a dispensation therefrom granted by the competent organ in accordance with Canon Law;

"Marriage Registry", in respect of marriages taking place in the Island of Malta or on board a Maltese registered ship while this is not in the internal waters of any country other than Malta, means the division in the Public Registry Office in the said island charged by the Minister with responsibility for matters relating to marriages, and, in respect of marriages taking place in Gozo, means the division in the Public Registry Office in Gozo charged by the Minister as aforesaid;

"Minister" means the Minister responsible for the Public Registry;

"parish priest" for the purposes of this Act includes also any ecclesiastic who according to Canon Law, is equivalent to a parish priest or substitutes a parish priest;

"Registrar" means the public officer designated by the Minister to perform the functions of Marriage Registrar in respect of a Marriage Registry, and includes, for any purpose of this Act, any person authorised by the Registrar for that purpose, and for the purposes of article 15 shall also include any Mayor of a Local Council or any person who has been certified as a celebrant of civil marriages by the Public Registry; and, in respect of marriages taking place on board a Maltese registered ship while this is not in the internal waters of any country other than Malta includes a master of a passenger vessel authorised for that purpose by the Registrar;

"Tribunal" for the purposes of articles 23, 24, 29 and 30 means the competent court or courts which in accordance with Canon Law applicable at the time can pronounce on the validity of a catholic marriage.

(2) Except where it is otherwise expressly provided, all the provisions of this Act shall apply to all marriages whether contracted in a civil or in a religious form.

Restrictions on marriage