Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953

19 Registrar's power to require information concerning death

(1) Where, after the expiration of the relevant period from the date of the death or finding of the dead body of any person, the death of that person has, owing to the default of the persons required to give information concerning it, not been registered, the registrar may by notice in writing require any qualified informant—

(a) to attend personally at the registrar's office, or at some other place appointed by the registrar within his sub-district, before such date (being not less than seven days after the receipt of the notice nor more than twelve months from the date of the death or of the finding of the body) as may be specified in the notice; and

(b) to give information to the best of the informant's knowledge and belief of the particulars required to be registered concerning the death ; and

(c) to sign the register in the presence of the registrar:

Provided that any such requirement shall cease to have effect if, before the date specified in the notice and before the person to whom the notice is given complies with it, either—

(i) the death is duly registered; or

(ii) an inquest is held on the body or touching the death of the deceased .person.

(2) In this section, the expression "the relevant period" means—

(a) where notice has been duly given to the registrar in accordance with the last foregoing section, fourteen days;

(b) in any other case, five days.