NICU
Form 901

ACT GOVERNMENT
Civil Unions Act 2006
Registrar-General’s Office

NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ENTER INTO A CIVIL UNION

PRIVACY COLLECTION STATEMENT (PRIVACY ACT 1988 (CTH)) 

PRIVACY NOTES

The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1997 authorises the Registrar-General to collect the information required by this form for the establishment and maintenance of registers.  The Registrar-General prevents any unreasonable intrusion into a person’s privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).  

However, the Registrar-General provides identifiable information to Law Enforcement Organisations and authorised organisations who have the legal authority to request information under prescribed circumstances.

GENERAL INFORMATION

A civil union is a legally recognised relationship that may be entered into by any two people, regardless of their sex.  A civil union is to be treated for all purposes under territory law in the same way as a marriage

A person may NOT enter into a civil union if the person is under 16 years of age or where the person is married or in a civil union.

A person may not enter into a civil union with someone who has any of the following relationships, which for the purposes of the Act are regarded as prohibited relationships:

•	Lineal ancestor,
•	Lineal descendant,
•	Sister,
•	Half-sister,
•	Brother
•	Half-brother.

Persons who are over the age of 16 but younger than 18 years old may enter into a civil union only if:

•	The children’s court, by order, gives an authorisation for the person to enter into a civil union; and
•	Each person with responsibility to make long-term decisions for the person (for example a parent or guardian) gives written consent to the person entering into the civil union.

It should be noted that the court can waive the requirement for parental consent if the court considers the circumstances exceptional.  Also, authorisation and consent must be obtained not earlier than 3 months before the day the notice of intention to enter the civil union is given.

This Notice of Intention of Civil Union must be provided to the authorised celebrant at least 5 days and not more than 18 months before the Declaration of Civil Union is to occur.  The Notice is to be accompanied by a completed Civil Union Declaration form which will be forwarded to the ACT Registrar General’s Office by the civil union celebrant. 

The ACT Births, Deaths and Marriages Regulation 1997 requires this form (a consent and court order if applicable), together with a Civil Union Declaration to be forwarded to the ACT Registrar-General’s office by the civil union celebrant following the declaration of a civil union under the Civil Union Act 2006, for the purposes of registering a civil union.

A list of authorised celebrants can be obtained via the ACT Registrar-General’s Office website at www.rgo.act.gov.au	

EVIDENTIARY REQUIREMENTS

The parties to this notice must provide to the civil union celebrant evidence of identity and age.  This evidence can be in the form of a birth certificate or citizenship (or a certified copy).  Where it is impractical for a party to obtain and provide such evidence, the party must provide a statutory declaration to that effect stating that to the best of the party’s knowledge and belief, and as accurately as the party has been able to find out, when and where the party was born.  In addition, if a party has been divorced or has had a civil union terminated evidence must be produced to the civil union celebrant to that effect by way of original or certified copy.

CELEBRANT’S USE	CELEBRANT DETAILS
(Name and Address of proposed celebrant)	REGISTRATION NUMBER	
For (time)		     		
On (day of week)				
Date				
At				

The following parties give notice of their intention to enter into a civil union:	

	PARTY 1	PARTY 2	
1.	Surname			
2.	Given Names			
3.	Usual Occupation			
4.	Usual place of residence (give full address)			
5.	Relationship status (for example, never validly married, widower, widow, divorced, party to a terminated civil union)			
6.	Birthplace (insert city/town, Australian State or Territory, or if born overseas, city/town and country)			
7.	Date of birth			
8.	Father’s name in full 			
9.	Mother’s maiden name in full 			

STATUTORY DECLARATION	

Under section 9(2) of the Act Civil Union Act 2006, this notice must be accompanied by a statutory declaration signed by each party and witnessed in accordance with the Statutory Declarations Act 1959.   	PARTY 1	PARTY 2	
	
I,					

of 					

hereby solemnly declare that:

•	I wish to enter into a Civil Union with

•	I am not married or in a Civil Union

•	I believe that I and my proposed civil union partner do not have a prohibited relationship, as defined in section 8 of the Civil Unions Act 2006 and as set out under general information in this notice.	
I,					

of 					

hereby solemnly declare that:

•	I wish to enter into a Civil Union with

•	I am not married or in a Civil Union

•	I believe that I and my proposed civil union partner do not have a prohibited relationship, as defined in section 8 of the Civil Unions Act 2006 and as set out under general information in this notice.	
Signed			
Witness (Print full name)			
Address of Witness			
Qualification of Witness			
Dated			

PARTICULARS TO BE COMPLETED BY THE CIVIL UNION CELEBRANT	

Date Notice Received by Celebrant		
	PARTY 1	PARTY 2	
Birth Certificate or extract produced 
(provide details of registration number)	YES		Rego No	NO		YES		Rego No	NO		
Citizenship Certificate or copy produced
(provide details of registration number)	YES		Rego No	NO		YES		Rego No	NO		
Passport sighted (provide details of passport number)	YES		Rego No	NO		YES		Rego No	NO		
Statutory declaration as evidence of identity and age provided	YES			NO		YES			NO		
Did you, the civil union celebrant, as soon as practicable after receiving this notice and accompanying documentation, provide written notice to each of the two parties setting out the nature and effect of a civil union? Please attach a copy of the written notice you provided to the parties as an attachment to this form.	YES			NO		
Celebrant’s Signature			
Celebrant’s Name 			
Celebrant’s Number			
Dated			

This Notice of Intention to Enter into a Civil Union must be provided to the Registrar-General’s Office together with written notice of the civil union within two weeks of the union being declared. 

Telephone Interpreter Services	

If English is not your first language, and you need help with this form, please telephone 131 450 for assistance 24 hours a day.