The amendments to the Marriage Ordinance set out in Ordinance, which established the office of Civil Celebrant, came in to force on 13 March 2006.

An eligible solicitor is one who:

• holds a current practising certificate that is unconditional, save as to the condition of compliance with the Continuing Professional Development Rules and the Legal Practitioners (Risk Management Education) Rules;

• who holds a certificate issued by the Law Society certifying either that he has practised as a solicitor for a period or periods in aggregate of not less than 7 years, or that he has made a statutory declaration to the Law Society that whilst his name has remained on the Roll of Solicitors he has for a period or periods in aggregate of not less than 7 years been employed to provide legal service to his employer.

Upon appointment Civil Celebrants, who are also solicitors, will be bound not only by the Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct but also by a Code of Practice for Civil Celebrants issued by the Registrar of Marriages.

Employed solicitors are required to apply to the Law Society for a Certificate of Standing which will be issued to applicants upon production of a statutory declaration that they have been providing legal services to their employers for not less than 7 years. The certificate must be submitted to the Immigration Department together with the other documents referred to in paragraph G below. A fee of $1,000 is payable to the Law Society for the Certificate of Standing.

Solicitors who at different times during the 7 year period have been both employed and in Practice should complete the statutory declaration so as to set out particulars of their employment history. A fee of $1,000 is payable to the Law Society in respect of such Certificate.

Solicitors in Practice are required to obtain a Certificate of Standing from the Law Society which will be required for submission with other documents to the Immigration Department. A fee of $1,000 is payable to the Law Society in respect of such Certificate.

The Immigration Department has created a package of documents which can be obtained from the Reception desk at the Law Society or downloaded from the Immigration Department's website at www.immd.gov.hk

The documents to accompany the application when submitted to the Immigration Department are:

1. Copy Hong Kong Identity Card/Travel document;
2. Copy current Practising Certificate;
3. Certificate of Standing issued by the Law Society;
4. Specimen signature card;
5. Mailing label;
6. Acknowledgment card;
7. Cheque for the application fee of $1,000. ($350 repayable if applicant is not appointed);
8. Completed application form.

No.	Title	Download
1	Application for Appointment/Renewal of Appointment as a Civil Celebrant of Marriages
2	Application Form for Certificate of Standing
3	Draft Form of Statutory Declaration

1. Under the Marriage Ordinance, one of the eligibility criteria for civil celebrants of marriages is to complete such training organised for the purposes of the Marriage Ordinance as the Registrar of Marriages may specify.

2. All applicants for appointment as civil celebrant of marriages are currently required to complete a training course conducted by the Immigration Department, HKSAR.

3. The Council has resolved that each of such training courses which have been conducted be accredited with 3 CPD points. The same training course to be conducted in future will be accredited on the same basis.

4. Accordingly, all solicitors who are subject to the CPD Scheme and who have been appointed as civil celebrant of marriages are entitled to claim 3 CPD points for attendance at the requisite training course in the CPD practice year in which their appointment was gazetted.

5. Solicitors who wish to claim the 3 CPD points should record it in their own CPD Training Record. It will not be shown on the CPD Attendance Record on the Society's website.