Interpretation

1 In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— Commonwealth country includes a territory for whose international relations the Government of a Commonwealth country is responsible marriage means the union of 2 people, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity marriage celebrant means a person authorised to act as a marriage celebrant under this Act Minister means the Minister of the Crown who, under the authority of any warrant or with the authority of the Prime Minister, is for the time being responsible for the administration of this Act New Zealand representative means a person who is for the time being a head of mission or head of post (within the meaning of section 2 of the Foreign Affairs Act 1988 ) or a person assigned or reassigned to service overseas under section 6 of that Act service marriage means a marriage solemnised outside New Zealand at a time when the person who solemnised it, and at least one party to it, is a member of a naval, military, or air force raised in New Zealand, and the person who solemnised it— a is both a chaplain and a marriage celebrant; or b in the case only of a marriage solemnised before 1 September 1995 , is a person duly authorised to solemnise it. 2 In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the terms Registrar-General , Deputy Registrar-General , and Registrar have the meanings assigned to them by section 4 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021 .