The Civil Registration Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

Registration of deaths where inquest not held

Certificate of cause of death

23.  The form of a certificate of a registered medical practitioner in pursuance of Article 25(2) of the 1976 Order as to the cause of death shall be Form 12.

Particulars to be registered concerning a death

24.—(1) Subject to the provisions of regulation 6 and to this regulation, the particulars to be registered concerning a death shall be those particulars required to be entered in Form 3.

(2) If the death relates to a dead body found, and —

(a) the date of death is unknown, the words “Found dead on “ shall be entered, followed by the date on which the body was found;

(b) the place of death is unknown, the words “Found at” shall be entered, followed by the place where the body was found.

(3) If the death relates to a child who lived for less than 24 hours, the word “Aged” shall be entered after the date of death followed by the age in completed hours or, if less than one hour, in minutes.

(4) With respect to the cause of death, there shall be entered —

(a) where the cause of death has been entered in pursuance of Article 25(4) of the 1976 Order, the word “Certified”; or

(b) where the cause of death has been entered in pursuance of Article 27(a) of the 1976 Order, the words “Coroner’s Statement”; or

(c) where the cause of death has been entered in pursuance of Article 27(b) of the 1976 Order, the words “Coroner’s Certificate”.

Manner in which required particulars concerning a death are to be given

25.—(1) For the purpose of Article 21(5) of the 1976 Order, a person shall give information of the particulars prescribed in pursuance of Article 21(1) concerning a death by attending personally at any Register Office and giving that information to the registrar.

(2) When the required particulars have been entered in Form 3, the registrar shall call upon the qualified informant to verify that the particulars (except those entered in the relevant space in relation to the cause of death) have been entered correctly, and if it appears that any error has been made, a fresh entry of the death shall be made containing the correct particulars.

(3) Where the qualified informant has verified that the particulars entered are correct —

(a) the qualified informant shall sign the register at the appropriate place, and

(b) the registrar shall enter the name and official description of the registrar at the appropriate place.

(4) Where the Registrar General authorises the registration of a death pursuant to Article 21(8) of the 1976 Order, the words “On the authority of the Registrar General “ shall be entered in space 16 without any further entry in that space.

Date of registration

26.  Where the Registrar General issues his written authority pursuant to Article 24(1) of the 1976 Order for the registration of a death which occurred more than one year previously, the words “On the authority of the Registrar General” shall be entered following the date of registration.

Registration of death after inquest

27.—(1) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2), where a registrar receives a coroner’s certificate under section 23 of the Coroner’s Act (Northern Ireland) 1959(1) upon an inquest with reference to a death, that death shall be registered as follows —

(a) in spaces 1 to 10 there shall be entered the particulars contained in the certificate as particulars to be entered in those spaces respectively, provided that if any person is named in the certificate as having caused the death, the name of that person shall be omitted,

(b) in space 16 there shall be entered the words “Certificate received from” and the name and description of the coroner, and the words “inquest held” and the date of the inquest as stated in the certificate,

(c) the provisions of regulation 25(3)(b) and 26 shall apply as they apply to the registration of a death where an inquest is not held.

(2) Where the coroner’s certificate relates to an inquest which has been adjourned and not resumed, the registrar shall register the death in accordance with the provision of paragraph (1), subject to the following modifications —

(a) in space 10 there shall be entered the cause of death as stated in the certificate,

(b) where it appears that the inquest was adjourned under the Coroners (Practice and Procedure) Rules (Northern Ireland) 1963(2) and a person has been charged with the murder, manslaughter or infanticide of the deceased person, there shall be entered, after the entry of the cause of death, the result of the criminal proceedings as stated in the certificate, provided that if any person is named in the certificate as having been so charged the name of that person shall be omitted,

(c) in space 16, instead of the words “certificate received from” there shall be entered—

(i) if the inquest was adjourned and not resumed, the words “Certificate on inquest adjourned and not resumed received from”, and

(ii) if the inquest was adjourned sine die, the words “Certificate on inquest adjourned sine die received from”.

(1)

1959 c. 15

(2)

S.R. 1963 No. 199 to which the most recent amendments were effected by S.R. 2002 No. 37 and S.R. 2008 No. 32