2006

THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY FOR THE AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

CIVIL UNIONS AMENDMENT BILL 2006

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Circulated by authority of 
Mr Simon Corbell MLA
Attorney General

CIVIL UNIONS AMENDMENT BILL 2006

The purpose of the Civil Unions Amendment Bill 2006 is to amend requirements for the minimum period of time between the giving of notice of intention to enter into a civil union and the entering of the civil union.  

Clauses 1 to 3 are formal clauses providing for the name of the Act, its commencement, and specifying the Act to be amended.  

Clause 4 amends a note as a consequence of the amendment in clause 5.

Clause 5 shortens the minimum time requirement in section 11 of the Act from 1 month to 5 days.  Section 11 provides that two people who have given requisite notice of their intention to enter a civil union may enter into a civil union by making a declaration before a civil union celebrant and at least one other witness.  The Act currently states that a declaration must be made not earlier than 1 month, and not later than 18 months after the day the notice was given to the civil union celebrant.  This amendment changes this period so that it will be not earlier than 5 days, and not later than 18 months after the day the notice was given.

Clause 6 is a drafting amendment to omit note 2 from clause 11.  This note related to the proposal in the original Bill to use authorised celebrants.  As the Act now provides a registration process for civil union celebrants, this note is no longer relevant.