The Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations 1987

PART VIIIREGISTRATION OF STILL-BIRTHS

Particulars to be registered and form of register

31.  The particulars concerning a still-birth required to be registered pursuant to section 1(1) of the Act(1) shall, subject to the provisions of this Part of these Regulations, be those required in spaces 1 to 13 in form 9 and that form shall be the prescribed form for registration of still-births for the purposes of section 5 of the Act (which provides for registration of births free of charge).

Certificate and declaration in connection with registration

32.—(1) The form of the certificate to be signed, pursuant to section 11(1)(a) of the Act(2), by a registered medical practitioner or a registered midwife for delivery by the qualified informant to the registrar shall be form 10.

(2) The form of the declaration to be made by a qualified informant, pursuant to section 11(1)(b) of the Act(3), where no certificate is obtained shall be form 11.

Reference to coroner

33.—(1) Where a registrar is given information of an alleged still-birth and he has reason to believe that the child was born alive he shall report the matter to the coroner on an approved form.

(2) The registrar shall not register a still-birth which to his knowledge has been reported to the coroner until he has received either a coroner’s certificate after inquest or a notification from the coroner that he does not intend to hold an inquest.

Registration where no reference to coroner

34.—(1) In the case of a still-birth in respect of which–

(a)a certificate in form 10 or a declaration in form 11 has been delivered to the relevant registrar;

(b)a report has not been, and is not required to be, made to the coroner; and

(c)before the expiration of three months from the date of the still-birth the relevant registrar receives personally from a qualified informant information of the particulars required to be registered concerning the birth,

the relevant registrar shall forthwith register the birth and the particulars, if not previously registered, in the presence of the informant on form 9, entering the particulars required in spaces 1 to 13.

(2) Regulations 7(2), 9 and 10 shall apply to the completion of form 9 as they apply to the completion of form 1 but with any necessary modifications, in particular the following–

(a)in space 1–

(i)where a still-born child is found exposed and the date and place of the still-birth are unknown the registrar shall enter the words “Found ... ... ... ...on ... ... ... ...”, inserting the relevant place and date,

(ii)where a name and surname are given by the informant in respect of the child, these shall be entered by the registrar;

(b)in space 2–

(i)where a certificate in form 10 has been produced, the registrar shall enter the cause of death precisely as stated in the certificate, followed by the words “Certified by ... ... ... ...” and the name, surname and qualification of the registered medical practitioner or, as the case may be, the name and surname of the midwife and the words “Registered Midwife”,

(ii)where a declaration in form 11 has been produced, the registrar shall enter the words “Declaration by informant”,

and, except where head (ii) applies, the informant shall not be required to verify the particulars entered in space 2.

Registration on coroner’s notification where no inquest is held

35.—(1) Where, before the expiration of three months from the date of a still-birth which has not already been registered, the relevant registrar receives from a coroner notification that he does not intend to hold an inquest, the registrar shall, subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), take such action as may be required to register the still-birth and the particulars on form 9 in the presence of a qualified informant, entering the particulars required in spaces 1 to 13 in accordance with Regulation 34(2).

(2) Where the coroner–

(a)certifies in his notification that an examination made by his direction has disclosed that the child was still-born or that there was not sufficient evidence to show that the child was born alive; and

(b)delivers to the registrar a certificate showing the result of the examination,

the registrar shall enter in space 2 of form 9 the cause of death precisely as stated in the certificate, followed by the words “Certified by ... ... ... ...after post-mortem held by direction of ... ... ... ...”, inserting respectively the name, surname and qualification of the registered medical practitioner who made the examination and the name, surname and description of the coroner.

(3) After the expiration of three months from its date a still-birth shall not be registered under this Regulation.

Registration on coroner’s certificate after inquest

36.—(1) Where, before the expiration of three months from the date of a still-birth, the relevant registrar receives a coroner’s certificate after inquest from which it appears that the child was still-born or that there was not sufficient evidence to show that the child was born alive, the registrar shall forthwith register the still-birth and the particulars (whether or not already registered) on form 9 as follows–

(a)in spaces 1 and 3 to 10, he shall enter, precisely as stated in the coroner’s certificate, the particulars contained in the certificate as the particulars to be entered in the respective spaces;

(b)in space 2, he shall enter the cause of death precisely as stated in the coroner’s certificate followed by the words “Certificate after inquest held on ... ... ... ...”, inserting the date of the inquest as stated in the certificate;

(c)in spaces 11 and 12 together, he shall enter the name, surname and description of the coroner;

(d)he shall draw a line through spaces 13 and 14;

(e)in space 15, he shall enter the date on which the entry is made;

(f)in space 16 he shall sign the entry and add his official description.

(2) Where the relevant registrar receives a coroner’s certificate as mentioned in paragraph (1), section 5 of the Act shall apply with the modification that on receiving the certificate the registrar shall forthwith register the still-birth in the manner specified in paragraph (1) of this Regulation and, if it has already been registered, without any alteration of the original entry.

Noting of previous entry after coroner’s certificate after inquest

37.  Where, in any case to which Regulation 36 applies, the registrar ascertains that an entry in respect of the child has previously been made in any register of live-births, still-births or deaths he shall, after registering the still-birth in accordance with that Regulation–

(a)if the previous entry is in a still-birth register in his custody, write in the margin of the previous entry the words “Re-registered on coroner’s certificate at entry No ... ... ... ...”, inserting the number of the new entry;

(b)if the previous entry is in a live-birth or death register in his custody, write in the margin of the previous entry the words “This entry relates to a still-birth and is registered at entry No ... ... ... ...in the still-birth register No ... ... ... ...”, inserting the numbers of the new entry and of the register;

(c)if the previous entry is in a live-birth or death register in the custody of a superintendent registrar, give him a copy of the new entry together with particulars of the previous entry whereupon the superintendent registrar shall write in the margin of the previous entry the words “This entry relates to a still-birth and is registered at entry No ... ... ... ...in the still-birth register No ... ... ... ...”, inserting the numbers of the new entry and of the register;

(d)if the previous entry is in a still-birth register in the custody of the Registrar General, send to the Registrar General a copy of the new entry together with particulars of the previous entry.