marriage ceremony
The ceremony creating the status of marriage. There are four main types of marriage ceremony (excluding marriage in military chapels). In a civil marriage, the ceremony takes place in a register office or other registered venue, with open doors, in the presence of the Superintendent Registrar (who conducts the ceremony), a registrar (who supervises registration formalities), and at least two witnesses. Under the Marriage Act 1983 (amending the Marriage Act 1949), housebound and detained persons may get married where they reside.

In a Church of England marriage, the ceremony usually takes place in church and is celebrated by a clergyman in the presence of at least two witnesses according to the rite of the Book of Common Prayer (or any alternative authorized form of service). A clergyman may refuse to solemnize the marriage of anyone whose former marriage has been dissolved if the former spouse is still living, or whose marriage would have been void for affinity of the parties before the passing of the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Act 1986. The marriage ceremony in Quaker and Jewish marriages is governed by the rules of those religions and need not be celebrated in a registered building, or by an authorized person, or in public. All other religious marriage ceremonies must be celebrated in a registered building designated as a place of meeting for religious worship, with open doors, and in the presence of at least two witnesses and a registrar or previously notified authorized person.

• malice
• malice aforethought
• malicious falsehood
• malicious prosecution
• malicious wounding
• managed service company
• management order
• managing director
• managing trustee
• mandate
• mandatory injunction
• mandatory order
• mandatory rules
• Manor of Northstead
• manslaughter
• Mareva injunction
• margin of appreciation
• marine insurance
• mariner’s will
• marital breakdown
• marital privileges
• maritime law
• maritime lien
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