Skip to main content

Request for Amendments to U.K. Immigration and Asylum Acts in Relation to the Civil Partnership (Jersey) Law 201-

This content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost. Let us know if you find any major problems.

Text in this format is not official and should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments. Please see the PDF for the official version of the document.

STATES OF JERSEY

REQUEST FOR AMENDMENTS TO U.K. IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM ACTS IN RELATION TO THE CIVIL PARTNERSHIP (JERSEY) LAW 201-

Lodged au Greffe on 1st June 2011 by the Chief Minister

STATES GREFFE

2011   Price code: A  P.92

PROPOSITION

THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion

to signify, pursuant to Article 31(1)(b)(i) of the States of Jersey Law 2005, that they agree that a request be made to Her Majesty in Council for the making of an Order in Council pursuant to section 36 of the Immigration Act 1971,  section 13(5)  of  the  Asylum  and  Immigration  Act  1996  and section 170(7) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, varying as necessary the provisions of each of those Acts as presently extended consequentially upon  the  provisions  of  the  Civil  Partnership  (Jersey)  Law  201-  and  as summarised in the attached report of the Chief Minister.

CHIEF MINISTER

REPORT

The  Immigration  Act  1971,  the  Asylum  and  Immigration  Act  1996  and  the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 have effect in Jersey by virtue (respectively) of the following Orders in Council –

  • the Immigration (Jersey) Order 1993,
  • the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 (Jersey) Order 1998, and
  • the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (Jersey) Order 2003.

The power to extend the provisions of each of these Acts includes a power to extend such provisions subject to such modifications as may appear to be appropriate to Her Majesty.

The Civil Partnership Act 2004 of the United Kingdom made several amendments to the Immigration Acts that were consequential upon the institution of civil partnership in that country. Now that it is sought to enact a Civil Partnership (Jersey) Law, a similar need arises for consequential amendments to be made to the Immigration and Asylum Acts as they extend to Jersey under the Orders in Council referred to above. But  it  is  not  possible,  of  course,  for  legislation  enacted  by  the  States  to  effect consequential  amendments  to  United  Kingdom  legislation  extended  by  Order  in Council. This can only be done by a further Order in Council.

The provisions of the Immigration Acts concerned appear to be as follows:

  1. Section 5 of the Immigration Act 1971

Section 5 was extended to Jersey by the Immigration (Jersey) Order 1993 and amended in its application to Jersey by the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 (Jersey)  Order  1998.  It  is  concerned  with  procedures  on  deportation. Section 5(4) as presently extended provides that, for purposes of deportation the following are regarded as belonging to another person's family –

  1. where the other person is a man, his wife and his or her children under 18; and
  2. where that other person is  a  woman,  her husband and  her or his children under 18.

In the context of civil partnership, it becomes necessary to make reference in section 5(4) to a civil partner as well as to a wife or husband.

  1. Section 141 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Section 141 was extended to Jersey by the Immigration (Jersey) Order 1993. It is concerned with fingerprinting. Section 141(14) defines a dependant' for certain purposes as a person's spouse. It becomes necessary to make reference also to a person's civil partner.

It  is  thought  that  these  are  the  only  provisions  for  the  time  being  that  require modification  consequentially  upon  the  institution  in  Jersey  of  a  régime  of  civil partnership, but it is possible that the Law Officers' Department in consultation with

Page - 3

P.92/2011

legal advisers in the United Kingdom, may identify further such provisions. To the extent that they do, this proposition seeks to enable not only the provisions described above to be extended, but such other provisions as are advised by the Jersey Law Officers  to  be  necessarily  incidental  to  the  provisions  contained  in  the  Civil Partnership (Jersey) Law 201-.

Financial and manpower implications

There are no financial or manpower implications for the States arising from this proposition.

Related Publications

Votes

Vote: Carried 12 July 2011

Minutes

Hansard