Coroners and Justice Act 2009

Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 (c. 20)

15 (1) Section 23 (furnishing of information by coroner) is amended as follows.

(2) For subsection (2) substitute—

“(2) Where there has been an investigation under Part 1 of the 2009 Act into a death and the senior coroner sends to the registrar a certificate giving information concerning the death, including the particulars found under section 10(1)(b) of that Act, the registrar shall in the prescribed form and manner register the death and those particulars; and, if the death has been previously registered, those particulars shall be entered in the prescribed manner without any alteration of the original entry.

(2ZA) Where under section 40(8)(a)(i) of the 2009 Act the Chief Coroner amends a finding under section 10(1)(b) of that Act and sends to the registrar a certificate setting out the amended particulars, the registrar shall in the prescribed form and manner register the amended particulars without any alteration of the original entry.”

(3) For subsection (2A) substitute—

“(2A) Where—

(a) an investigation under Part 1 of the 2009 Act into a death is suspended under Schedule 1 to that Act, and

(b) the senior coroner sends to the registrar a certificate stating the particulars required by this Act to be registered concerning the death (so far as they have been ascertained at the date of the certificate),

the registrar shall in the prescribed form and manner register the death and those particulars.

(2B) Where—

(a) an investigation under Part 1 of the 2009 Act into a death is suspended under paragraph 2 of Schedule 1 to that Act (suspension where certain criminal proceedings brought), and

(b) the senior coroner sends to the registrar a certificate—

(i) stating the result of the proceedings in respect of the charge or charges by reason of which the investigation was suspended, or of any proceedings that had to be concluded before the investigation could be resumed, or

(ii) setting out any changes or additions to the particulars mentioned in subsection (2A) of this section,

the registrar shall in the prescribed form and manner register the result of those proceedings, or the changes or additions, without any alteration of the original entry.

(2C) Where—

(a) an investigation under Part 1 of the 2009 Act into a death is suspended under paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 to that Act (suspension pending inquiry), and

(b) the senior coroner sends to the registrar a certificate—

(i) stating the findings of the inquiry by reason of which the investigation was suspended,

(ii) stating the result of any proceedings that had to be concluded before the investigation could be resumed, or

(iii) setting out any changes or additions to the particulars mentioned in subsection (2A) of this section,

the registrar shall in the prescribed form and manner register the findings of that inquiry, or the result of those proceedings, or the changes or additions, without any alteration of the original entry.”

(4) In subsection (3), for the words from the beginning to “stating” substitute “Where an investigation is discontinued under section 4 of the 2009 Act by reason of an examination under section 14 of that Act (post-mortem examinations) and the senior coroner sends to the registrar a certificate stating”.