Commentary on Sections Part 5 – Civil partnerships formed or dissolved abroad etc.Introduction Chapter 4 – Miscellaneous and supplementary Section 239: Commanding officers’ certificates for part 2 purposes
469.This section applies to cases where two people wish to register as civil partners of each other in England and Wales and one of them (“A”) is a member of the armed forces and the other resides in England and Wales. Her Majesty may by Order in Council make provision for the issue by A’s commanding office of a certificate of no impediment in such cases. A certificate of no impediment is needed for the two people to register as civil partners of each other under section 20. The section follows the approach taken in the Marriage Act 1949 (c.76) in relation to persons serving in a naval vessel at sea, but extends it to all members of the armed forces.