Hong Kong Ordinances

MATRIMONIAL CAUSES ORDINANCE - SECT 20A

Foreign marriages

(Past version on 30/06/1997).

Amendments retroactively made-see 23 of 1998 s. 2; 25 of 1998 s. 2

(1) Where apart from this Ordinance, any matter affecting the validity of a
marriage would fall to be determined (in accordance with the rules of private
international law) by reference to the law of a country outside Hong Kong,
nothing in section 20 shall-

   (a)  preclude the determination of that matter as aforesaid; or

   (b)  require the application to the marriage of the grounds or bars
        mentioned therein except so far as applicable in accordance with those
        rules.

(2) In the case of a marriage which has taken place outside Hong Kong and
purports to be a marriage under common law, section 20(1) is without prejudice
to any ground on which the marriages may be void by virtue of the rules
governing the celebration of marriages outside Hong Kong under common law.
(Amended 23 of 1998 s. 2; 25 of 1998 s. 2) (Added 33 of 1972 s. 13)
[cf. 1971 c. 44 s. 4 U.K.]