ENG-1965 — Page 293

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POPULATION

to reduce this period in special circumstances, and the Governor has power to grant a special licence dispensing with notice altogether, but this is done very rarely and then only in the most exceptional circumstances. Marriages may take place either at places of public worship licensed for the celebration of marriages or at a marriage registry. During the year, 13,333 marriages were performed in the nine marriage registries and four sub-registries, and 1,558 at licensed places of worship. The total was 1,904 more than in 1964. All marriage records are maintained at the principal marriage registry at the City Hall.

The Marriage Ordinance does not apply to non-Christian cus- tomary marriages duly celebrated according to the personal law and religion of the parties, and such marriages do not require to be registered. No statistics of such marriages are therefore available, but it is thought that there are still as many unregistered marriages taking place each year as there are registered marriages. The position with respect to unregistered marriages has long been recognized as being very unsatisfactory, and the government has for some con- siderable time been considering what steps should be taken to remedy it.

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