Regulations for Civil Partnership Law Come into Effect

Regulations that take forward the new Civil Partnership Law, 2020 will take effect on Monday, 28 September 2020, after being Gazetted today, Friday, 25 September.

The Governor, in consultation with the Premier, approved the new regulations earlier today.

The regulations describe how to apply for a civil partnership licence for those seeking to enter into civil partnerships.

The regulations also deal with the appointment of Civil Registrars, deputies to civil registrars and Civil Partnership Officers as well as the fees that will be charged by or on behalf of the registrars. Access to the Civil Partnership Register is also outlined.

The Civil Registrars and Civil Partnerships Officers are authorised by the Civil Partnership Law, 2020 to formalise civil partnerships in the Cayman Islands.

The regulations will enable persons to enter into civil partnerships. They also provide criteria for persons to apply to become licensed Civil Registrars and Civil Partnership Officers, following which they can formalise such partnerships from public applications.

While the Governor appoints the civil registrars and deputies, the Deputy Governor will approve the appointment of civil registration officers as well as applications by Masters of Cayman Islands registered ships following their successful applications to be licensed civil partnership officers. In the latter instance, a licence can be granted to the ship’s second-in-command to be a provisional civil partnership officer.

The criteria for eligibility to be appointed by the Governor as a civil registrar or deputy civil registrar include: 1) the person is of good character; 2) is able to, and will, conscientiously perform the duties of a Civil Registrar under the Law and 3) the appointment is in the public interest.

Schedule 1 provides for all the forms required for registration while Schedule 2 regulates the fees chargeable ranging from $5 to $450 under the various categories in the civil partnership registration process as in the Law.

Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, MBE, who announced the coming into effect of the regulations, said: “The Civil Service has completed the preparatory work necessary to implement the Civil Partnership Law. Consequently, forms and guidance for members of the public to seek such partnerships and for persons seeking to become officers who can formalise such partnerships can be found on CIG’s General Registry website at www.ciregistry.gov.ky.”

For all queries, to access the regulations as well as to apply for a civil partnership and for becoming officers who can formalise such partnerships, visit the www.ciregistry.gov.ky or email the specially dedicated email address: cpl2020@gov.ky.

Additionally, all procedures, including where to access the forms to apply for entering into civil partnerships, how to become officers and the fees to be paid, will be posted on the main doors of the General Registry Office, located on the ground floor of the Government Administration Building.

Also, for links to the gazette notice and the regulations on the gazette, see Legislation Gazette No. 71 of 2020 at http://gazettes.gov.ky/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/13012526.PDF ; and

Civil Partnership Regulations, 2020 at http://gazettes.gov.ky/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/13012528.PDF .

For the Civil Partnership Law, 2020, visit http://gazettes.gov.ky/portal/pls/portal/docs/1/13006487.PDF.