Coroners and Justice Act 2009

Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 (c. 20)

18 (1) Section 29 (correction of error in registers) is amended as follows.

(2) After subsection (3) insert—

“(3A) In the case of a death in relation to which the registrar has been given a confirmed attending practitioner’s certificate, or a medical examiner’s certificate, in accordance with regulations under section 20 of the 2009 Act—

(a) no correction under subsection (3) of this section relating to the cause of death may be made without the approval of the medical examiner concerned;

(b) any error of fact or substance relating to the cause of death in a register of deaths may be corrected by entry in the margin (without any alteration of the original entry) by the officer having the custody of the register on being notified by the medical examiner of the nature of the error and the true facts of the case.”

“(3B) In the case of a death in relation to which an investigation under Part 1 of the 2009 Act has been discontinued under section 4 of that Act (cause of death revealed by post-mortem examination)—

(a) no correction under subsection (3) of this section relating to the cause of death may be made without the approval of the senior coroner concerned;

(b) any error of fact or substance relating to the cause of death in a register of deaths may be corrected by entry in the margin (without any alteration of the original entry) by the officer having the custody of the register on being notified by the senior coroner of the nature of the error and the true facts of the case.”

(3) In paragraph (a) of subsection (4), for “touching which he has held an inquest” substitute “into which he has conducted an investigation under Part 1 of the 2009 Act (other than one that has been discontinued under section 4 of that Act)”.

(4) Omit paragraph (b) of that subsection and the word “or” preceding it.