'''''''
is a Latin term for a legal principle in English common law, roughly translated as "the law of the land (') where it was celebrated". It refers to the validity of the union, independent of the
laws of marriage of the countries involved: where the two individuals have legal nationality or citizenship, or where they live (reside or are domiciled). The assumption under the
common law is that such a marriage, when lawfully and validly celebrated under the relevant law of the land, is also lawful and valid.
British legal tradition In the
United Kingdom, the jurisdiction of
England, or England and Wales, as well as in many other legal jurisdictions largely or
partly following the British tradition of jurisprudence, in addition to their modified local versions of the English common law, the legal principle behind the legal term was modified, qualified and further elaborated, both by legal developments in the common law (
Lord Dunedin's ''
Berthiaume v D'Astous'' case (
HL 1930) (
AC 79), in which Dunedin in the
Appellate Committee of the House of Lords ruled that "If a marriage is good by the laws of the country where it is effected, it is good all the world over, no matter whether the proceedings or ceremony which constituted marriage according to the law of the place would not constitute marriage in the country of the domicile of one or other of the spouses. If the so-called marriage is no marriage in the place where it is celebrated, there is no marriage anywhere, although the ceremonial proceedings if conducted in the place of the parties’ domicile would be considered a good marriage"), as well as by codification in statute by the
Foreign Marriage Act 1892 (
55 & 56 Vict. c. 23). Under the English common law, whether a party needs to be present is treated as a formality of the
marriage ceremony, so if a
proxy marriage is valid by the law of the place where the marriage was celebrated then it will be recognised in England. ==''''==