{"id":"F2026L00294","name":"Marriage (Celebrant Professional Development) Statement 2026","slug":"marriage-celebrant-professional-development-statement-2026","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":107835,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2026L00294-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name","content":"#### 1 Name\n\n This instrument is the Marriage (Celebrant Professional Development) Statement 2026.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commencement","content":"#### 2 Commencement\n\n (1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.\n\n```html\n

Commencement information

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Provisions

Commencement

Date/Details

1. The whole of this instrument

The day after this instrument is registered.

\n```\n\n> Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.\n\n (2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Authority","content":"#### 3 Authority\n\n This instrument is made under subsection 53(3) of the Marriage Regulations 2017.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Schedules","content":"#### 4 Schedules\n\n Each instrument that is specified in a Schedule to this instrument is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this instrument has effect according to its terms.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"Definitions","content":"#### 5 Definitions\n\n In this instrument:\n\n> Regulations means the Marriage Regulations 2017.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Professional Development Activities","content":"#### 6 Professional Development Activities\n\n (1) For the purposes of paragraph 53(3)(a) of the Regulations, a professional development activity set out in an item in the following table is listed for the calendar year beginning on 1 January 2026.\n (2) For the purposes of subparagraph 53(1)(b)(ii) of the Regulations, the provider for the professional development activity is set out in column 4 of that item.\n (3) For the purposes of paragraph 53(3)(b) of the Regulations, the professional development activities set out in items 1 and 2 of the following table are compulsory for that year.\n\n```html\n

Professional development activities

Item

Activity name

Code

Length in minutes

Provider

1

Separate Meetings — Compulsory

26AGD001

45

Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department

2

Knowledge of the Law (No 1) — Compulsory

26AGD002

75

Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department

3

Knowledge of the Law (No 2) — Additional

26AGD003

60

Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department

4

Real Consent — Additional

26AGD004

60

Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department

5

Offences Relevant to Marriage Celebrants — Additional

26AGD005

60

Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department

\n```\n\nSchedule 1—Repeals\n\nMarriage (Celebrant Professional Development) Statement 2025\n\n1 The whole of the instrument\n\nRepeal the instrument","sortOrder":5}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The instrument maintains its original narrow purpose: annually specifying training requirements for marriage celebrants. The 2026 version follows the same structure as previous years, merely updating the course list and repealing the 2025 statement. No expansion of scope or creeping regulatory burden is evident."},"complexity_factors":["Single defined term ('Regulations')","Straightforward tabular structure with only 5 data rows","No nested conditions or exceptions","Simple repeal mechanism (Schedule 1 repeals one previous instrument in its entirety)","Direct cross-reference to only one provision of the parent regulations (section 53)","No conditional commencement provisions—standard 'day after registration' rule"],"plain_english_summary":"In 2026 all authorised Australian marriage celebrants must complete specified professional development set by the Attorney‑General’s Department. Two compulsory short courses (Separate Meetings; Knowledge of the Law No.1) are required in the 2026 calendar year, with several additional optional modules available.\n\nThe instrument repeals the 2025 requirements; failure to complete the compulsory training risks loss of registration and the ability to legally officiate marriages."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":true,"description":"This instrument updates the content of the annual professional development statement by listing five 2026 activities (with codes, durations and provider) and by repealing the 2025 statement (s6; Schedule 1). The statutory scope — listing and designating celebrant PD under subsection 53(3) of the Marriage Regulations 2017 — is unchanged, but the substantive content and compulsory designations for 2026 have been changed (s3; s6(3))."},"complexity_factors":["Single-purpose, short instrument focused on listing activities (s6)","Activities, codes, lengths and provider specified in a simple table (s6(1)–(2))","Two activities formally declared compulsory for the year (s6(3))","Repeals prior year’s statement in Schedule 1 (Schedule 1)","Commencement is immediate (day after registration) rather than phased (s2)","Made under a single enabling provision (subsection 53(3) of the Regulations) (s3)","No detailed enforcement, fee, or attendance-recording mechanisms included — compliance burden implied but not specified (s6)"],"plain_english_summary":"This instrument lists the professional development activities that apply to registered marriage celebrants for the 2026 calendar year, names the Commonwealth Attorney‑General’s Department as the provider for each activity, and designates two activities as compulsory. It also repeals the 2025 statement and takes effect the day after registration. It matters because it sets which training celebrants must or may complete and who delivers that training for 2026."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/marriage-celebrant-professional-development-statement-2026","history":"/api/acts/marriage-celebrant-professional-development-statement-2026/history","analysis":"/api/acts/marriage-celebrant-professional-development-statement-2026/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/marriage-celebrant-professional-development-statement-2026/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/marriage-celebrant-professional-development-statement-2026/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/marriage-celebrant-professional-development-statement-2026/documents"}}