Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976

Special provisions as to still-births N.I.

15.—(1) F1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(2) Where an inquest is held by a coroner on any still-born child, a qualified informant shall not be under any duty to give any information under this Part concerning the still-birth.

(3) Where under Article 10 an informant must give information of a still-birth to the registrar he shall, unless the still-birth has been referred to the coroner, deliver to the registrar a certificate in the prescribed form signed by a registered medical practitioner who was present at the still-birth or has examined the body of the still-born child, or if none was so present or has examined the body, by a [F2 registered midwife] who was so present or has examined the body.

(4) A certificate for the purposes of paragraph (3) shall—

(a) state that the child was not born alive; and

(b) where possible, state to the best of the knowledge and belief of the person signing it—

(i) the cause of the still-birth;

(ii) the weight of the foetus; and

(iii) the estimated duration of the pregnancy.

(5) A registered medical practitioner or [F2 registered midwife] who is present at a still-birth or examines the body of a still-born child shall (unless the still-birth has been referred to the coroner or he or she intends to refer the still-birth to the coroner) give an informant a certificate for the purposes of paragraph (3) free of charge, without any request being made in that behalf.

(6) Upon registering a still-birth a registrar shall, if so required, give to the informant or to the person who has control over, or who ordinarily effects the disposal of bodies at, any burial ground or other place at which it is intended to dispose of the body of a still-born child, a certificate in the prescribed form that he has registered the still-birth.

(7) Where a registrar receives written notice of a still-birth accompanied by such a certificate as is mentioned in paragraph (3), he may, before registering the still-birth, give to the person sending the notice a certificate in the prescribed form that he has received notice of the still-birth.

(8) A certificate given under paragraph (6) or (7) shall—

(a) be given only for the purposes of the disposal of the body of the still-born child; and

(b) be free of charge.

(9) Where a person who has control over or ordinarily effects the disposal of bodies at any burial ground or other place permits the disposal of the body of a still-born child in that ground or place he shall, unless he receives in respect of that child a certificate under paragraph (6) or (7) or an order or authorisation of the coroner, give notice of the disposal in the prescribed form to the registrar of the district in which the still-birth occurred, within seven days from the date of the disposal.

(10) The Registrar General shall provide forms for the purposes of paragraph (9).

(11) Any person who fails to comply with paragraph (9) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding[F3 level 1 on the standard scale] in respect of each disposal of which he fails to give notice.

F1 Art. 15(1) repealed (3.10.2011) by Civil Registration Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (c. 20), ss. 5(2), 33, 34, Sch. 2; S.R. 2011/323, art. 2(b)

F2 1979 c.36

F3 1984 NI 3