Section 53 Marriage Act

Section 53 of the Marriage Act 1914 is about Modifications referred to in section 52. It provides as follows:

The modifications referred to in section 52 of this Act are as follows‐
(a) references to the registrar’s district shall be construed as references to the country to which the marriage officer is accredited;

(b) the affidavit mentioned in section 11 (2) of this Act shall be sworn before the marriage officer;

(c) section 13 of this Act shall not apply;

(d) sections 15 to 17 of this Act shall not apply and, if a caveat is entered under section 14 of this Act in respect of an intended marriage of which notice has been given, the notice and all proceedings consequent thereon shall be void and any fee paid shall be refunded to the payer (without prejudice to the right to give a fresh notice or enter a fresh caveat);

(e) the marriage officer, if he is satisfied that the consent of any person required by section 18 of this Act cannot be obtained because of that person’s absence, inaccessibility or disability, may (without prejudice to that person’s right to enter a caveat under section 14 of this Act) dispense with the necessity of ob‐ taining the consent of that person or a consent under section 20 of this Act so however that the marriage officer shall not have power to dispense with the consent required by section 18 of this Act if he is satisfied that the marriage is being sought to be celebrated outside Nigeria solely because that consent could not be obtained in Nigeria;

(f) in section 30 (3) of this Act the words “three months” and “each calendar year” shall be substituted for the words “ten days” and “each month” respectively;

(g) in section 33 (1) of this Act the words “in Nigeria” shall be disregarded;
(h) any fee chargeable shall be converted to the local currency at the official rate of exchange;

(i) power to reduce, remit or refund fees under section 38 of this Act shall be vested in the marriage office

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