LegalizeReform history
Legitimacy Act 1976
8 versions
· 1976-07-22
2022-04-06
Legitimacy Act 1976
2019-12-02
Legitimacy Act 1976
Changes on 2019-12-02
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
##### 1
- (1) The child of a void marriage, whenever born, shall, subject to subsection (2) below and Schedule 1 to this Act, be treated as the legitimate child of his parents if at the time of the insemination resulting in the birth or, where there was no such insemination, the child’s conception(or at the time of the celebration of the marriage if later) both or either of the parties reasonably believed that the marriage was valid.
- (1) The child of a void marriage or a void civil partnership, whenever born, shall, subject to subsection (2) below and Schedule 1 to this Act, be treated as the legitimate child of his parents if at the time of the insemination resulting in the birth or, where there was no such insemination, the child’s conception(or at the time of the celebration of the marriage, or the formation of the civil partnership, if later) both or either of the parties reasonably believed that the marriage or civil partnership was valid.
- (2) This section only applies where—
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@
- (b) if a woman is treated as the female parent of a child by virtue of section 42 or 43 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008, that female parent was domiciled in England and Wales at the time of the birth, or if she died before the birth, was so domiciled immediately before her death.
- (3) It is hereby declared for the avoidance of doubt that subsection (1) above applies notwithstanding that the belief that the marriage was valid was due to a mistake as to law.
- (4) In relation to a child born after the coming into force of section 28 of the Family Law Reform Act 1987, it shall be presumed for the purposes of subsection (1) above, unless the contrary is shown, that one of the parties to the void marriage reasonably believed at the time of the insemination resulting in the birth or, where there was no such insemination, the child’s conception (or at the time of the celebration of the marriage if later) that the marriage was valid.
- (3) It is hereby declared for the avoidance of doubt that subsection (1) above applies notwithstanding that the belief that the marriage or civil partnership was valid was due to a mistake as to law.
- (4) In relation to a child of a void marriage born after the coming into force of section 28 of the Family Law Reform Act 1987, or a child of a void civil partnership (whenever born), it shall be presumed for the purposes of subsection (1) above, unless the contrary is shown, that one of the parties to the void marriage or civil partnership reasonably believed at the time of the insemination resulting in the birth or, where there was no such insemination, the child’s conception (or at the time of the celebration of the marriage, or the formation of the civil partnership, if later) that the marriage or civil partnership was valid.
- (5) Subsections (1) and (4) are to be read, in relation to the child of a void marriage which has resulted from the purported conversion of a civil partnership under section 9 of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 and regulations made under that section, as if the reference to the time of the celebration of the marriage was a reference to the date of the purported conversion of the civil partnership into a marriage.
@@ -22,13 +22,13 @@
##### 2
Subject to the following provisions of this Act, where the mother and father of an illegitimate person marry one another, the marriage shall, if the father of the illegitimate person is at the date of marriage domiciled in England and Wales, render that person, if living, legitimate from the date of the marriage.
Subject to the following provisions of this Act, where the mother and father of an illegitimate person marry or become civil partners of one another, the marriage or civil partnership shall, if the father of the illegitimate person is at the date of marriage or the date of the formation of the civil partnership domiciled in England and Wales, render that person, if living, legitimate from the that date.
#### Legitimation by extraneous law
##### 3
- (1) Subject to the following provisions of this Act, where the mother and father of an illegitimate person marry one another and the father of the illegitimate person is not at the time of the marriage domiciled in England and Wales but is domiciled in a country by the law of which the illegitimate person became legitimated by virtue of such subsequent marriage, that person, if living, shall in England and Wales be recognised as having been so legitimated from the date of the marriage notwithstanding that, at the time of his birth, his father was domiciled in a country the law of which did not permit legitimation by subsequent marriage.
- (1) Subject to the following provisions of this Act, where the mother and father of an illegitimate person marry or become civil partners of one another and the father of the illegitimate person is not at the time of the marriage or civil partnership domiciled in England and Wales but is domiciled in a country by the law of which the illegitimate person became legitimated by virtue of such subsequent marriage or civil partnership, that person, if living, shall in England and Wales be recognised as having been so legitimated from the date of the marriage or civil partnership notwithstanding that, at the time of his birth, his father was domiciled in a country the law of which did not permit legitimation by subsequent marriage or civil partnership.
- (2) Subject to the following provisions of this Act, where—
@@ -234,6 +234,8 @@
This sub-paragraph applies only if and so far as a contrary intention is not expressed in the instrument, and shall have effect subject to the instrument.
- (4) Section 1 does not affect any matter referred to in sub-paragraph (2) or (3) so far as it applies to a child of a void civil partnership.
##### 5
It is hereby declared that nothing in this Act affects the Succession to the Throne.
@@ -252,7 +254,7 @@
## SCHEDULE 2
#### Legitimacy of children of certain void marriages.
#### Legitimacy of children of civil partners
## Savings
@@ -356,7 +358,47 @@
[^key-9b1a04b49f7f6005c1314ce097321fff]: Words in s. 3(2)(d) inserted (13.3.2014) by [The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/560)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/560), [art. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/560/article/1/2), [Sch. 1 para. 15(5)(b)(iii)(bb)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/560/schedule/1/paragraph/15/5/b/iii)
[^key-fe8921d180d22f973d79857c1a2e4ac8]: [S. 1(5)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1976/31/section/1/5) inserted (10.12.2014) by [The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) and Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3168)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3168), [art. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3168/article/1/2)[(3)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3168/article/1/3), [Sch. para. 9](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3168/schedule/paragraph/9)
[^key-fe8921d180d22f973d79857c1a2e4ac8]: S. 1(5) inserted (10.12.2014) by [The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 (Consequential and Contrary Provisions and Scotland) and Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/3168)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3168), [art. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3168/article/1/2)[(3)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3168/article/1/3), [Sch. para. 9](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/3168/schedule/paragraph/9)
[^key-5231a71564d1610f053c568e37bdd4b0]: [S. A1](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1976/31/section/A1) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/2)
[^key-7d991e43ed84e20d2ef98f188ea1c235]: Sch. 1 para. 5A inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(6)(b)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/6/b)
[^key-31cd4967f7e1f3d03496651d66d6fa62]: Words in s. 1 heading inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(3)(a)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/3/a)
[^key-4f347ddec62645e2fa0b313fb66ebfb4]: Words in s. 1(1) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(3)(b)(i)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/3/b/i)
[^key-f19ded9484b1985e2d3f9028e3e910f6]: Words in s. 1(1) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(3)(b)(ii)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/3/b/ii)
[^key-c689534678478a3c848e2fb839d09aca]: Words in s. 1(1) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(3)(b)(iii)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/3/b/iii)
[^key-5572fb01e200b4a08fc6ea3156326401]: Words in s. 1(3) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(3)(c)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/3/c)
[^key-c11840a7d9fb0d4e3a2d4fc049c29d35]: Words in s. 1(4) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(3)(d)(i)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/3/d/i)
[^key-2b1ce079713fd0a423024a060e38b177]: Words in s. 1(4) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(3)(d)(ii)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/3/d/ii)
[^key-3220e0a0abe48c619b4a0101f83e774b]: Words in s. 1(4) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(3)(d)(iii)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/3/d/iii)
[^key-b15a08d306b1d587aab58ceb3e5b0dae]: Words in s. 1(4) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(3)(d)(iv)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/3/d/iv)
[^key-d99ccc2399e7e1ee841ae8c0c85b1f33]: Words in s. 1(4) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(3)(d)(v)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/3/d/v)
[^key-674f2dc7c9174a5bed7d8aaa3ef56f97]: Words in s. 2 heading inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(4)(a)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/4/a)
[^key-bc0c2acb986a0fbff26e5be4e94e5057]: Words in s. 2 inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(4)(b)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/4/b)
[^key-b5abdc688ab830767e32f18fa311acc2]: Words in s. 2 inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(4)(c)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/4/c)
[^key-27259ecb14ab57344224856a1c901e10]: Words in s. 2 inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(4)(d)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/4/d)
[^key-f12b843f746cccabfaf78010cd6edd5a]: Words in s. 2 substituted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(4)(e)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/4/e)
[^key-6150c3517cd1eea2889072443c5a54b2]: Words in s. 3(1) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(5)(a)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/5/a)
[^key-8692a40d36772f214252d7203607198e]: Words in s. 3(1) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(5)(b)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/5/b)
[^key-4ac38d1638ec0815472503402c011f24]: Sch. 1 para. 4(4) inserted (2.12.2019) by [The Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/1458)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458), [regs. 1(2)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/1/2), [12(6)(a)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2019/1458/regulation/12/6/a)
##### 2A
@@ -372,4 +414,14 @@
the marriage or the civil partnership shall render the child, if living, legitimate from the date of the marriage or the formation of the civil partnership.
#### Savings, amendments and repeals.
#### Interpretation.
##### A1
- (1) A child is legitimate by virtue of a civil partnership between the natural parents of the child if, had the civil partnership been a marriage (and all other circumstances were the same), the child would have been legitimate at common law by virtue of the marriage.
- (2) The presumption of common law that a child born to a woman during her marriage to a man is also the natural child of her spouse applies equally in relation to a child born to a woman during her civil partnership with a man.
##### 5A
Nothing in this Act, except for section 2A, legitimates a person born before the date on which the Civil Partnership (Opposite-sex Couples) Regulations 2019 came into force by virtue of a civil partnership formed by the person’s parents before that date.
2014-12-10
Legitimacy Act 1976
2014-03-13
Legitimacy Act 1976
2009-09-01
Legitimacy Act 1976
2009-04-06
Legitimacy Act 1976
2005-12-30
Legitimacy Act 1976
1976-07-22
Legitimacy Act 1976
original version
Text at this date