If any person commits any of the following offences, that is to say—
(a)if, being a registrar, he refuses or without reasonable cause omits to register any birth or death or particulars concerning which information has been tendered to him by a qualified informant and which he is required by or under this Act to register; or
(b)if, being a person having the custody of any register of births or register of deaths, he carelessly loses or injures the register or allows the register to be injured,
he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F1level 3 on the standard scale].
Textual Amendments
F1Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46
If any person commits any of the following offences, that is to say—
(a)if, being required by or under this Act to give information concerning any birth or death F2. . . or any dead body, he wilfully refuses to answer any question put to him by the registrar relating to the particulars required to be registered concerning the birth or death, or save as provided in this Act, fails to comply with any requirement of the registrar made thereunder;
(b)if he refuses or fails without reasonable excuse to give, deliver or send any certificate which he is required by this Act to give, deliver or send;
(c)if, being a parent and save as provided in this Act, he fails to give information concerning the birth of his child as required by this Act; or
(d)if, being a parent of a legitimated person F3. . . , he fails to comply with any requirement of the Registrar General made under or by virtue of section fourteen of this Act; or
(e)if, being a person upon whom a duty to give information concerning a death is imposed by paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section sixteen or seventeen of this Act, he fails to give that information and that information is not given,
he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F4£2] for each offence.
Textual Amendments
F2Words repealed by Children Act 1975 (c. 72), Sch. 4 Pt. VI
F3Words repealed by Legitimation (Re–registration of Birth) Act 1957 (c. 39), s. 1(2)
F4Words substituted by virtue of Decimal Currency Act 1969 (c. 19), s. 10(1)
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C1S. 36 amended by Criminal Justice Act 1967 (c. 80), s. 92, Sch. 3 Pt. I (as amended by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c.48, SIF 39:1), ss. 38, 46 )
If any person F5... falsifies any certificate, declaration or order [F6(including any copy of the same in an approved electronic form)] under this Act, or knowingly uses, or gives or sends to any person, as genuine any false F5... certificate, declaration or order [F6(including any copy of the same in an approved electronic form)]for the purposes of this Act, he shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding [F7level 1 on the standard scale].
Textual Amendments
F5Words repealed by Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981 (c. 45, SIF 39:7), s. 30, Sch. Pt. I
F6Words in s. 37 inserted (1.12.2021) by The Births and Deaths Registration (Electronic Communications and Electronic Storage) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1231), arts. 1(2), 3(9)
F7Words substituted by virtue of Criminal Justice Act 1982 (c. 48, SIF 39:1), s. 46
Modifications etc. (not altering text)
C2S. 37 extended with modifications by S.I. 1982/1526, art. 2, Sch. 1 Pt. III
(1)Subject as may be prescribed, a superintendent registrar may prosecute any person for an offence under this Act committed within his district, and any costs incurred by him in any such prosecution, being costs which are not otherwise provided for, shall be defrayed out of moneys provided by Parliament.
(2). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F8
Textual Amendments
F8S. 38(2) repealed by Criminal Justice Act 1972 (c. 71), Sch. 6 Pt. II