Commentary on Sections Part 4 – Civil Partnership: Northern Ireland.Introduction Chapter 6 – Miscellaneous Section 208: Evidence
405.Subsection (1) of this section contains a provision that enactments or rules of law applying to the giving of evidence by a spouse will apply also to the giving of evidence by a civil partner.
406.However, subsection (2) sets out that the general provision in subsection (1) is subject to any specific amendment made by or under the Civil Partnership Act which relates to the giving of evidence by a civil partner. This takes account of the fact that in some instances it is more appropriate to amend specific provisions in other enactments or rules.
407.Subsection (5) provides that any rule of law which makes evidence of family tradition admissible to prove or disprove the existence of a marriage is to apply in a similar way in order to prove or disprove the existence of a civil partnership.