Commentary on Sections Part 3 – Miscellaneous and Supplementary Section 159: Interpretation
Subsection (1) provides general interpretation. Subsection (2) provides that any power conferred to prescribe a fee by regulations includes power to prescribe a fee not exceeding a prescribed amount, a fee calculated in accordance with the regulations and a fee determined by the person to whom it is payable, being a fee of a reasonable amount. Subsection (3) provides a definition of “couple” for the purposes of this Act, to include a married couple, two persons who are civil partners of each other or two persons (whether of different sexes or the same sex), living as partners in an enduring family relationship. The latter does not include two people where one person is the other’s parent, grandparent, sister, brother, aunt or uncle (subsection (4)). Subsection (5) provides that the relationships set out in subsection (4) include relationships of the full blood or half blood and also include the relationship of an adoptive parent with their adopted child, or their former adopted child, but do not include any other adoptive relationships. Subsection (6) provides that for the purposes of this Act, a person is the partner of a child’s parent if the person and the parent are a couple but the person is not the child’s parent.