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issue the certificate at any time within the fifteen days. Under Section 12 the Governor may, when he sees fit, grant a special licence dispensing with notice altogether or with the certificate of the Registrar or with both. Such licences are given only in exceptional circumstances.
127. Notices of marriage are exhibited at the Registry where given and also at the principal Marriage Registry, to which records of all marriages under the Ordinance are sent for permanent retention.
128. The Marriage Ordinance does not apply to non-Christian customary marriages duly celebrated according to the personal law and religion of the parties. No records of such marriages are available, but it is estimated that there are probably about as many unregistered marriages as registered. As mentioned in previous reports the position with respect to these unregistered marriages is far from satisfactory, the great majority being of doubtful validity since they have been con- tracted not in accordance with the full traditional forms prescribed by Chinese custom, but in supposed conformity with Articles 980 to 988 of the Civil Code of the former Nationalist Government of China. There are also large numbers of irregular unions in which the two parties live together, have children and are regarded by themselves and others as to all intents and purposes married. Proposals for legislation to deal with this unsatisfactory situation were under active consideration at the close of the year.
129. The principal Marriage Registry is located in the City Hall. In addition there are in the urban areas full-time registries at Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Kowloon (Farm Road) and Kwun Tong, and 'part-time' registries at Aberdeen and Shau Kei Wan open two days a month. In the New Territories there are full-time registries at Tai Po, Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long and 'part-time' registries at Cheung Chau and Sai Kung open two days and one day a month respectively.
130. Under Section 22(3)(b) of the Ordinance, where the Deputy Registrar is satisfied that he and the parties and witnesses all understand the Chinese language or the same dialect thereof, the marriage may be celebrated wholly in that language or dialect, and the great majority of Registry marriages are now celebrated in Chinese without an inter- preter. The form of marriage certificate incorporates a Chinese translation of the printed English text, but is completed in English only.
131. During the year seven additional places of public worship were licensed for the celebration of marriages under the Ordinance,
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