Australian Capital Territory Current Acts

CIVIL UNIONS ACT 2012 - NOTES

Dictionary

(see s 3)

Note 1     The Legislation Act

contains definitions and other provisions relevant to this Act.

Note 2     For example, the Legislation Act

, dict, pt 1, defines the following terms:

              •     ACAT

              •     adult

              •     bankrupt or personally insolvent

              •     found guilty

              •     Minister (see s 162)

              •     registrar-general.

"civil union celebrant" means—

        (a)     the registrar-general; or

        (b)     a person who is registered under this Act as a civil union celebrant.

"prohibited relationship"—see section 7.

"reviewable decision", for part 4 (Notification and review of decisions)—see section 18.

"termination notice" means a notice given under section 12 (1).

"withdrawal notice" means a notice given under section 12 (3).

Endnotes

1     About the endnotes

Amending and modifying laws are annotated in the legislation history and the amendment history. Current modifications are not included in the republished law but are set out in the endnotes.

Not all editorial amendments made under the Legislation Act 2001

, part 11.3 are annotated in the amendment history. Full details of any amendments can be obtained from the Parliamentary Counsel's Office.

Uncommenced amending laws are not included in the republished law. The details of these laws are underlined in the legislation history. Uncommenced expiries are underlined in the legislation history and amendment history.

If all the provisions of the law have been renumbered, a table of renumbered provisions gives details of previous and current numbering.

The endnotes also include a table of earlier republications.

2     Abbreviation key

A = Act	NI = Notifiable instrument
AF = Approved form	o = order
am = amended	om = omitted/repealed
amdt = amendment	ord = ordinance
AR = Assembly resolution	orig = original
ch = chapter	par = paragraph/subparagraph
CN = Commencement notice	pres = present
def = definition	prev = previous
DI = Disallowable instrument	(prev...) = previously
dict = dictionary	pt = part
disallowed = disallowed by the Legislative	r = rule/subrule
Assembly	reloc = relocated
div = division	renum = renumbered
exp = expires/expired	R[X] = Republication No
Gaz = gazette	RI = reissue
hdg = heading	s = section/subsection
IA = Interpretation Act 1967	sch = schedule
ins = inserted/added	sdiv = subdivision
LA = Legislation Act 2001	SL = Subordinate law
LR = legislation register	sub = substituted
LRA = Legislation (Republication) Act 1996	underlining = whole or part not commenced
mod = modified/modification	or to be expired

3     Legislation history

Civil Unions Act 2012 A2012-40

notified LR 4 September 2012

s 1, s 2 commenced 4 September 2012 (LA s 75 (1))

remainder commenced 11 September 2012 (s 2)

as repealed by

Marriage Equality (Same Sex) Act 2013

A2013-39 s 51

notified LR 4 November 2013

s 1, s 2 commenced 4 November 2013 (LA s 75 (1))

s 51 commenced 7 November 2013 (s 2 and CN2013-11

)

repeal of no effect (see High Court decision of 12 December 2013 Commonwealth v Australian Capital Territory [2013] HCA 55)

as amended by

Statute Law Amendment Act 2015 (No 2)

A2015-50 sch 3 pt 3.6

notified LR 25 November 2015

s 1, s 2 commenced 25 November 2015 (LA s 75 (1))

sch 3 pt 3.6 commenced 9 December 2015 (s 2)

Red Tape Reduction Legislation Amendment Act 2016

A2016-18 sch 3 pt 3.13

notified LR 13 April 2016

s 1, s 2 commenced 13 April 2016 (LA s 75 (1))

sch 3 pt 3.13 commenced 27 April 2016 (s 2)

Justice and Community Safety Legislation Amendment Act 2017

A2017-5 sch 1 pt 1.1

notified LR 23 February 2017

s 1, s 2 commenced 23 February 2017 (LA s 75 (1))

sch 1 pt 1.1 commenced 2 March 2017 (s 2 (3))

4     Amendment history

Commencement
s 2     om LA s 89 (4)

Dictionary
s 3     am A2015-50

amdt 3.48

Notice of intention to enter into civil union
s 8     am A2016-18

amdts 3.47-3.49

Ending civil union by parties
s 12     am A2016-18

amdts 3.50-3.55

Evidence of identity and age
s 23     am A2016-18

amdt 3.56, amdt 3.57

Offences
s 26     am A2016-18

amdt 3.58, amdt 3.59

Recognition of civil unions under corresponding laws
s 27     sub A2017-5

amdt 1.1

Domestic Relationships Regulation 2012—sch 2
s 31     exp 11 September 2012 (s 31 (4))

Legislation amended—sch 3
s 32     om LA s 89 (3)

Legislation repealed
s 33     om LA s 89 (3)

Transitional
pt 6 hdg     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

Definitions—pt 6
s 100     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)
    def commencement day exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)
    def repealed Act exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

Existing civil partnerships
s 101     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

Application for registration of civil partnership not decided before commencement day
s 102     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

Declaration of civil partnership not made before commencement day
s 103     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

Declared civil partnership not registered before commencement day
s 104     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

Application for termination of civil partnership not decided before commencement day
s 105     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

Applications made but not decided before commencement day
s 106     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

Existing civil partnership notaries
s 107     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

Transitional regulations
s 108     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

Expiry—pt 6
s 109     exp 11 September 2013 (s 109)

New Domestic Relationships Regulation 2012
sch 2     om R1 (see s 31)

Consequential amendments
sch 3     om LA s 89 (3)

Dictionary
dict     am A2015-50

amdt 3.49; A2016-18

amdt 3.60
    def reviewable decision am A2015-50

amdt 3.50

5     Earlier republications

Some earlier republications were not numbered. The number in column 1 refers to the publication order.

Since 12 September 2001 every authorised republication has been published in electronic pdf format on the ACT legislation register. A selection of authorised republications have also been published in printed format. These republications are marked with an asterisk (*) in column 1. Electronic and printed versions of an authorised republication are identical.

Republication No and date	Effective	Last amendment made by	Republication for
R1 11 Sept 2012	11 Sept 2012– 11 Sept 2012	not amended	new Act
R2 12 Sept 2012	12 Sept 2012– 11 Sept 2013	not amended	expiry of provision (s 31)
R3 12 Sept 2013	12 Sept 2013– 6 Nov 2013	not amended	expiry of transitional provisions (pt 6)
R4 7 Nov 2013	7 Nov 2013– 8 Dec 2015	not amended	repeal by A2013-39

of no effect (see High Court decision)

R5
9 Dec 2015

9 Dec 2015–
26 Apr 2016

A2015-50

amendments by A2015-50

R6
27 Apr 2016

27 Apr 2016–
1 Mar 2017

A2016-18

amendments by A2016-18

© Australian Capital Territory 2017

Australian Capital Territory

A2012-40

Republication No 7

Effective: 2 March 2017

Republication date: 2 March 2017

Last amendment made by A2017-5

This is a republication of the Civil Unions Act 2012

(including any amendment made under the Legislation Act 2001

, part 11.3 (Editorial changes)) as in force on 2 March 2017

. It also includes any commencement, amendment, repeal or expiry affecting this republished law to 2 March 2017

.

The legislation history and amendment history of the republished law are set out in endnotes 3 and 4.

Kinds of republications

The Parliamentary Counsel's Office prepares 2 kinds of republications of ACT laws (see the ACT legislation register at www.legislation.act.gov.au

):

              • authorised republications to which the Legislation Act 2001

applies

              • unauthorised republications.

The status of this republication appears on the bottom of each page.

Editorial changes

The Legislation Act 2001

, part 11.3 authorises the Parliamentary Counsel to make editorial amendments and other changes of a formal nature when preparing a law for republication. Editorial changes do not change the effect of the law, but have effect as if they had been made by an Act commencing on the republication date (see Legislation Act 2001

, s 115 and s 117). The changes are made if the Parliamentary Counsel considers they are desirable to bring the law into line, or more closely into line, with current legislative drafting practice.

This republication does not include amendments made under part 11.3 (see endnote 1).

Uncommenced provisions and amendments

If a provision of the republished law has not commenced, the symbol  U  appears immediately before the provision heading. Any uncommenced amendments that affect this republished law are accessible on the ACT legislation register (www.legislation.act.gov.au

). For more information, see the home page for this law on the register.

Modifications

If a provision of the republished law is affected by a current modification, the symbol  M  appears immediately before the provision heading. The text of the modifying provision appears in the endnotes. For the legal status of modifications, see the Legislation Act 2001

, section 95.

Penalties

At the republication date, the value of a penalty unit for an offence against this law is $150 for an individual and $750 for a corporation (see Legislation Act 2001

, s 133).

Australian Capital Territory

Civil Unions Act 2012

Endnotes24

Australian Capital Territory

Civil Unions Act 2012