Title 27 Laws of Bermuda Item 13

BERMUDA

1984 : 8

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

1 Short title 4 Granting of licences to

2 Interpretation perform marriages

3 Legality of Muslim 5 Application of Marriage religious marriages Act 1944 to Muslim marriages

[13 March 1984] [preamble and words of enactment omitted]

Short title

1 This Act may be cited as the Muslim Marriage Act 1984.

Interpretation

2 In this Act —

(a) "Imam" means the spiritual leader of a religious community in Bermuda of the Islamic faith;

(b) other expressions have the meanings assigned to them by the Marriage Act 1944 [title 27 item 1]. [Section 2(a) substituted by 1999:33 s.2 effective 23 August 1999]

Legality of Muslim religious marriages

3 Subject to this Act, and the relevant provisions of the Marriage Act 1944 [title 27 item 1] it shall be lawful for marriages to be celebrated in Bermuda according to the rites and ceremonies of the faith of Al-

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Islam; and any such marriages are hereinafter in this Act referred to as Muslim marriages.

4. Granting of licences to perform marriages

(1) The Minister, by writing under his hand, may grant a licence to any Imam to be a Marriage Officer within Bermuda authorizing him to celebrate Muslim marriages.

(2) The provisions of the Marriage Act 1944 [title 27 item 1] relating to the grant of a licence to a minister to be a Marriage Officer and to the revocation or surrender of such licence shall apply with necessary modifications to the grant, by virtue of this section, of a licence to any of the persons mentioned in subsection (1) and to the revocation and surrender thereof.

(3) A person to whom a licence is granted by virtue of this section is hereinafter referred to as a Muslim Marriage Officer. [Section 4(1) amended by 1999:33 s.3 effective 23 August 1999]

Application of Marriage Act 1944 to Muslim marriages

5 The provisions of the Marriage Act 1944 [title 27 item 1] (as amended from time to time) shall have effect —

(a) in relation to the celebration or intended celebration of Muslim marriages and the powers and duties of Muslim Marriage Officers as those provisions have effect in relation to the celebration or intended celebration of Christian marriages and the powers and duties of Marriage Officers in connection therewith: Provided that where a Muslim marriage is intended to be celebrated by a Muslim Marriage Officer after the publication of banns, such banns shall be published as provided in the Marriage Act 1944 [title 27 item 1]; so however, that publication of the banns shall be made on three Fridays preceding the celebration of the Muslim marriage; and

(b) in relation to the acts or omissions of persons who are parties to or otherwise concerned in the celebration or intended celebration of Muslim marriages or any other matters relating to Muslim marriages as those provisions have effect in relation to the acts or omissions of persons who are parties to or are otherwise concerned in the celebration or intended celebration of Christian marriages or any other matters relating to Christian marriages.

2 1989 Revision Title 27 Laws of Bermuda Item 13

[Amended by: 1999:33]

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