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Age hinit

Ch. 29. No. 4.] Muslim Marriage and Divorce Regisivation.

(d) that the partie., understanding the nature of the
contract, shall freely consent to marry one another;

(e) that the marriage shall be effected by or before a
person appointed as a Marriage Officer under the
provisions of this Ordinance;

(f) that the marriage shall be registered in accord-
ance with the provisions of this Ordinance.

9. The age at which a person, being a member of the

and consent. Muslim Community, is capable of contracting marriage

Consent to
mariage in
certain
cases.

shall be sixteen in the case of males and twelve in the case
of female.

Provided that in the case of an intended marriage
between persons either of whom, being a male is under
twenty-one years of age or being a female is under eightcen
years of age (not being a widower or widow), the consent
to such marriage, of the father if living, or if the father shall
be dead of the guardian or guardians lawfully appointed
or of one of them, and in case there be no such guardian
then of the mother of such person so under age, and if there
be no mother living then of such other person as may
be appointed for the purpose by the Governor, shall be
certified in writing by the Marriage Officer by or before
whom the marriage is effected upon the certificate of such
Marriage to be issued in accordance with the provisions
of this Ordinance.

10. In case any person whose consent to a marriage is
required in accordance with the preceding section is absent
from the Colony or is unable or refuses to give such consent
or is not of sound mind, it shall be lawful for the person
desirous of contracting such marriage to apply to the
Governor to appoint a person, being a member of the
Muslim Community, to examine into the circumstances of
such intended marriage, and if upon such examination by
the person so appointed it shall appear to him that there
are no reasonable objections to such intended marriage, he
shall so formally declare in writing and such declaration
shall for the purposes of this Ordinance be deemed equivalent
to such consent as aforesaid.