Dissolution
of certain marriages on and after appointed day.
Exp. 179.)
Notice of
intention to dissolve marriage.
Parties may appear before designated public officer.
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the presence of two other persons who have also signed as attest- ing witnesses, to an agreement or memorandum in writing which sets forth unequivocally the final and complete dissolution of the marriage shall be valid for all purposes and shall be deemed to have been so valid since the execution of the agreement of memorandum,
15. (1) A customary marriage subsisting on the appointed day and registered in accordance with Part IV may where at least one party to the marriage has a substantial connexion with Hong Kong be dissolved on or after that day in accordance with this Part.
(2) A validated marriage subsisting on the appointed day and registered in accordance with Part IV may where at least one parly to the marriage has a substantial connexion with Hong Kong be dissolved on or after that day-
(a) in accordance with the Matrimonial Causes Ordinance:
of
(b) in accordance with this Part.
16. (1) The parties to a marriage, of a kind which may be dissolved under this Part, may give notice of their intention to dissolve the marriage in the prescribed form to a designated public officer, signed by both parties to the marriage and pub- lished or otherwise given in such manner as may be prescribed.
(2) A person who has given notice in accordance with sub- section (1) may, by publication or otherwise as may be prescribed. cancel such notice.
17. (1) Not less than one month after the giving of notice under subsection (1) of section 16, the parties to the marriage may, if neither of them has cancelled the notice under subsection (2) of section 16, appear personally before the designated public officer to whom notice was given for the purpose of satisfying him that each of them wishes voluntarily and freely to dissolve his or her marriage to the other.
(2) If a designated public officer is satisfied that the parties appearing before him-
(a) have given notice of intention to dissolve their marriage under subsection (1) of section 16 and notice of changed intention under subsection (2) of that section has not been given; and
(b) understand that the effect of dissolution is to put an end to the marriage so as to permit the parties to marry again should either of them so wish; and
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(c) freely and voluntarily desire to dissolve the marriage,
be shall sign the prescribed form in duplicate and deliver one copy to each of the parties.
18. For the purposes of section 17, a designated public officer-
(a) shall interview each of the parties to a marriage appear- ing before him in the presence of each other and also in the absence of each other, and no other person, except an interpreter (should one be necessary), shall be present at any such interview:
(6) may require the parties or either of them to appear before him again on some specified occasion or occa- sions:
(c) may require the parties or either of them to furnish such
further information as he may reasonably require.
19. (1) The parties to a marriage may, within one month of the delivery to them under section 17 of the prescribed forms by a designated public officer, sign, in Hong Kong in the presence of each other and in the presence of two other adult persons who shall also sigo as attesting witnesses, an agreement or memorandum in writing for the dissolution of the marriage unequivocally with effect from registration under section 20.
(2) An agreement or memorandum for the dissolution of a marriage, signed and witnessed in the manner required by sub- section (1), shall have the effect, as from registration under section 20 of dissolving the marriage.
20. The parties to an agreement or memorandum for the dissolution of a marriage signed under and in accordance with section 19 shall, within fourteen days from the date of signature or such longer period as the designated public officer before whom the parties appeared under section 17 may for special reasons in any particular case permit, register, either personally or through their duly authorized agent, particulars of the agreement or memorandum for dissolution of marriage with the designated public officer before whom the parties appeared under section 17; and that officer shall endorse on the agreement or memorandum a record of registration under this section.
21. (1) The Secretary for Home Affairs shall maintain a register for the registration of dissolutions of marriage effected under section 19.
Functions of designated public officer.
Memorandum
of dissolution of marriage.
Registration of memorandum for dissolution of marriage.
Register of dissolutions of marriage.