Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 · Updated to 15 Dec 2018 · Part III · Marriage
24. Solemnization of a marriage through religious ceremony, custom or usage
Feedback & supportWhere any clergyman or minister or priest of any church or temple is appointed by the Minister to act as Assistant Registrar of
Minister
“Minister” means the Minister charged with responsibility for the registration of marriages;
Marriages for any marriage district, such clergyman or minister or priest may after delivery to him of a statutory declaration under subsection 22(3) solemnize any marriage, if the parties to the marriage or either of them profess the religion to which the church or temple belong, in accordance with the rites and ceremonies of that religion.
marriage district
“marriage district” means an area which has been defined as a marriage district under subsection 28(5), or if no such area has been so defined in any State or Federal Territory, that State or Federal Territory;
Where any person is appointed by the Minister to act as
Assistant Registrar of Marriages for any marriage district such person may after delivery to him a statutory declaration under subsection 22(3) solemnize any marriage in accordance with the custom or usage which the parties to the marriage or either of them practise.
Registrar
“Registrar” means a Registrar of Marriages appointed under this Act and includes the Registrar General, an Assistant Registrar General, a Superintendent Registrar, a Deputy Registrar and an Assistant Registrar of Marriages;
An Assistant Registrar solemnizing a marriage under this section shall in some part of the ceremony remind the parties that either of them shall be incapable during the continuance of the marriage of contracting a valid marriage with any other person and if either of them shall marry during the continuance of the marriage he or she shall commit an offence.
In this section—
26
“priest of a temple” includes any member of a committee of management or governing body of that temple and any committee member of any religious association;
“priest of a church” includes any officer or elder of the church.