Jeff MontgomeryRegistrar-General

Births, Deaths and Marriages

Celebrants Association of New Zealand Conference 11 August 2013

Department of Internal Affairs

Department of Internal Affairs – Our Strategic Focus Areas

Transforming the way government agencies deliver

their services

Stronger and more resilient communities

Increased trust in how government manages NZ’s

civic information

Internal Affairs is a robust sustainable and fit for purpose

government agency

Department of Internal Affairs

Department of Internal Affairs – How we work

• 2000+ staff working across a wide range of areas

• Building a safe, prosperous and respected nation

• Service Delivery and Operations provide a range of services that make a difference in the lives of the people by enabling them to fulfil aspirations - for themselves, their families and their communities. This includes:

• Citizenship• Passports• Community Operations• Charities• iGovt – RealMe• Births, Deaths and Marriage

Department of Internal Affairs

Births, Deaths and Marriages• Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages - Jeff Montgomery. Independent statutory officer who makes decisions

on who becomes a celebrant, amongst other things.

• 48 registries nationally - Four run directly by the Department and 44 by the Department's agents, Ministry of Justice and local councils.

• Each year BDM deals with more than 300,000 New Zealanders. We register:o 62,000 birthso 23,000 relationshipso 30,000 deathso We issue more than 275,000 certificate and printouts

• Register Name Changes and Gender Reassignments

• 9,500+ approved marriage celebrants or Registrars of Marriage

Department of Internal Affairs

Marriage Statistics

Current celebrant numbers (July 2013)

• Church and organisation marriage celebrants = 7,594

• Independent marriage celebrants = 1,817

• Independent civil union celebrants = 452

• Each year 400 applications for independent celebrants. 25% approved.

Proportion of ceremonies performed by marriage celebrants

• 45% by an independent marriage celebrant

• 32% by a church or organisational marriage celebrant

• 23% in a Registry Office by a Registrar of Marriages

Department of Internal Affairs

Proportion of celebrants to ceremoniesNumber of celebrants

7547

2117

Church and organisation marriagecelebrants

Independent celebrants

Number of ceremonies

32%

45%

23%

Church or organisational celebrant

Independent Celebrant

Registry Office by a Registrar

Department of Internal Affairs

Marriages, Civil Unions, and Divorces:

Year ended December 2012  

• 20,521 marriages registered to New Zealand residents• 2,422 marriages were registered to overseas residents. • 303 civil unions registered to New Zealand residents plus

87 to overseas residents. 22% were different sex couples.  

• 8,785 married couples divorced.

More relationships ending  

• Just over one-third of couples married in 1987 divorced within 25 years (ie before their silver wedding anniversary).

• Of the 2,455 civil union couples in New Zealand, only 124 civil unions (less than one in 20) have been dissolved.  

Source: Statistics New Zealand

Department of Internal Affairs

Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Act 2013

• Royal Assent granted on 19 April 2013

• First same-sex marriage probably Monday 19 August 2013

• Notices of Intended Marriage accepted from 16 August

• Specifies that a marriage is between two people regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity

• All married couples will be eligible to apply jointly to adopt a child

• Transgender people able to remain married regardless of gender identity

• Nothing else changes

Department of Internal Affairs

“A marriage licence shall authorize but not oblige any marriage celebrant to solemnize the marriage to which it relates.” (current Act - unchanged)

The Marriage Act authorises but does not oblige any marriage celebrant to solemnise a marriage. No change.

Reinforced by the Amendment Act “no religious or organisational celebrant is obliged to solemnise a marriage that would contravene religious beliefs or philosophical or humanitarian convictions of a religious body or approved organisation.”

Department of Internal Affairs

Marriage Amendment Act – Implementing the change

• Not a major change. Flow on implications for the birth and death registration systems.

• Change to the Notice of Intended Marriage form, adding options for Headings of Particulars

Department of Internal Affairs

Celebrant Registration

• No change to celebrant appointment process.

• Celebrants registered for civil unions - 130 have been offered the opportunity to also be a marriage celebrant.

• Changing application process - merging marriage and civil union celebrant forms. Making criteria more transparent and permissive. Sought further feedback from CANZ.

• Working with CANZ to review renewal process (different time of year, maybe for longer)

• Looking at possibility for a competency based appointment process.

• Adding celebrant identification number to forms to improve quality of information we collect – eg number of ceremonies completed.

Department of Internal Affairs

Questions?