### Matrimonial Causes Ordinance 《婚姻訴訟條例》

62. Interpretation and transitional provisions
(1) In this Part, place (地方) includes a colony or other dependent territory of the United Kingdom but for the purposes of this Part a person shall be treated as a national of such a colony or dependent territory only if it has a law of citizenship or nationality separate from that of the United Kingdom and he is a citizen or national of that colony or dependent territory under that law. (Amended 20 of 2010 s. 9)
(2) The provisions of this Part relating to overseas divorces and legal separations and other divorces and legal separations obtained outside Hong Kong apply to a divorce or legal separation obtained before 1 April 1972 as well as to one obtained on or after that date and, in the case of a divorce or legal separation obtained before that date—
(a) require, or, as the case may be, preclude, the recognition of its validity in relation to any time before that date as well as in relation to any subsequent time; but 
(b) do not affect any property rights to which any person became entitled before that date or apply where the question of the validity of the divorce or legal separation has been decided by the court before that date. 
[cf. 1971 c. 53 s. 10(3) & (4) U.K.]

63. Transitional
The amendments to sections 48 and 48A of this Ordinance made by sections 19 and 20 of the Marriage and Children (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 1997 (69 of 1997) (the amending Ordinance

### Marriage Reform (Fees) Regulations 《婚姻制度改革(費用)規例》

1. Citation
These regulations may be cited as the Marriage Reform (Fees) Regulations.

2. Fees
The fees specified in the Schedule shall be payable for the purposes of the Marriage Reform Ordinance (Cap. 178).

### Marriage Reform Regulations 《婚姻制度改革規例》

1. Citation
These regulations may be cited as the Marriage Reform Regulations.

2. Notices to be given at office of designated public officer
(1) Every notice of intention to dissolve a marriage under section 16(1) of the Ordinance shall be given at the office of a designated public officer. 
(2) Every notice of cancellation under section 16(2) of the Ordinance shall be given to, and at the office of, the designated public officer to whom the notice of intention to dissolve a marriage has been given.

3. Exhibition of notice and entry of notice in dissolution of marriage notice book
A designated public officer shall—
(a) exhibit at his office one copy of every notice given under section 16(1) of the Ordinance until either a notice of cancellation is given or the marriage in question is dissolved; 
(b) enter one copy of every notice given under section 16 of the Ordinance, with the date of such entry, in a book to be called the dissolution of marriage notice book; and 
(c) allow any person to inspect such book during office hours without fee. 

### Designation of Public Officers Notice 《指明公職人員公告》

1. Citation
This notice may be cited as the Designation of Public Officers Notice.

2. Designation of public officers
The public officers specified in the Schedule are hereby designated for the purposes of Part V of the Marriage Reform Ordinance (Cap. 178).

### Marriage Reform (Forms) Regulations 《婚姻制度改革(表格)規例》

1. Citation
These regulations may be cited as the Marriage Reform (Forms) Regulations.

2. Forms
The forms in the Schedule shall be the prescribed forms for the purposes of the Ordinance.

### Marriage Reform Ordinance 《婚姻制度改革條例》

1. Short title
This Ordinance may be cited as the Marriage Reform Ordinance.

2. Interpretation
In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires—
appointed day (指定日期) means 7 October 1971; (Replaced 34 of 1999 s. 3)
Chinese law and custom (中國法律與習俗) means such of the laws and customs of China as would immediately prior to 5 April 1843 have been applicable to Chinese inhabitants of Hong Kong; (Amended 34 of 1999 s. 3)
customary marriage (舊式婚姻) means a marriage celebrated in Hong Kong in accordance with section 7; 
designated public officer (指明公職人員) means a public officer designated for the purposes of Part V by the Chief Executive under section 22; (Amended 34 of 1999 s. 3)
modern marriage (新式婚姻) means a marriage celebrated in Hong Kong before the appointed day by open ceremony as a modern marriage and in the presence of 2 or more witnesses; 
parties to a customary marriage (舊式婚姻的雙方) means the husband and the principal wife (tsai) whether such wife is a kit fat or a tin fong wife; and, for the avoidance of doubt, party to a customary marriage (舊式婚姻的一方) does not include a concubine (tsip); 
Registrar (登記官) means the Registrar of Marriages, and any deputy registrar of marriages, appointed under section 3 of the Marriage Ordinance (Cap. 181); 
validated marriage (認可婚姻) means a modern marriage made valid by section 8.

4. Marriages on and after appointed day to be monogamous
Marriages entered into in Hong Kong on or after the appointed day shall imply the voluntary union for life of one man with one woman to the exclusion of all others and may be contracted only in accordance with the Marriage Ordinance (Cap. 181). 
(Amended 62 of 1979 s. 2)

5. Status of concubinage not to be acquired on and after appointed day
(1) On or after the appointed day, no man may take a concubine and no woman may acquire the status of a concubine. 
(2) Subsection (1) shall not affect in any way—
(a) the status or rights of a concubine lawfully taken before the appointed day; or 
(b) the status or rights of a child, whether born before, on or after the appointed day, of a concubine lawfully taken before the appointed day.

### Marriage Reform Ordinance 《婚姻制度改革條例》

6. Kim tiu (兼祧) marriages not to be entered into
(1) On or after the appointed day no person shall contract a kim tiu (兼祧) marriage. 
(2) Subsection (1) shall not affect in any way—
(a) the status or rights of a party to a kim tiu (兼祧) marriage lawfully contracted before the appointed day; 
(b) the status or rights of a child, whether born before, on or after the appointed day, of parties to a kim tiu (兼祧) marriage contracted before the appointed day.

7. Customary marriage
(1) For the purposes of this Ordinance, a marriage shall constitute a customary marriage if it was or is celebrated in Hong Kong before the appointed day in accordance with Chinese law and custom. 
(2) A marriage shall be deemed to accord with Chinese law and custom if it was celebrated or is celebrated before the appointed day in Hong Kong in accordance with the traditional Chinese customs accepted at the time of the marriage as appropriate for the celebration of marriage either—
(a) in the part of Hong Kong where the marriage took place; or 
(b) in the place recognized by the family of either party to the marriage as their family place of origin. 
(3) A customary marriage of persons who are subject to Chinese law and custom is hereby declared to be a valid marriage.

8. Validation of modern marriage
Subject to section 14, every marriage celebrated in Hong Kong before the appointed day as a modern marriage by a man and a woman each of whom, at the time of the marriage, was not less than 16 years of age and was not married to any other person shall be a valid marriage, and shall be deemed to have been valid since the time of celebration, notwithstanding—
(a) that the proper personal law and religion of the parties, or one of them, was Chinese law and custom, and the marriage was prohibited by or failed to comply with the requirements of Chinese law and custom; or 
(b) that the marriage was not under and in accordance with the Marriage Ordinance (Cap. 181).