In these Regulations —

• “the 1976 Order” means the Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976;

• “the Act” means the Civil Registration Act (Northern Ireland) 2011;

• “birth” does not include a still-birth;

• “description”, in relation to a coroner, means his official designation and the area of his jurisdiction;

• “maiden surname” means the surname under which a woman contracted her marriage or entered into a civil partnership (or, where she has married or entered into a civil partnership more than once, her first marriage or civil partnership);

• “name”, in relation to a person, excludes a surname except in regulations 12, 13, 27 and 30;

• “occupation” includes rank or profession;

• “prescribed fee” means a fee prescribed under Article 47 of the 1976 Order, Articles 35(3) and 37 of the Marriage (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, section 157 of the Civil Partnership Act 2004 or paragraph 7 of Schedule 1 to the Presumption of Death Act (Northern Ireland) 2009;

• “the Record of Northern Ireland Connections” means the register maintained in accordance with section 31(1) of the Act;

• “a relevant event” means an event mentioned in Schedule 1 to the Act;

• “relevant period” means:

  in relation to information relating to a birth or the adoption of a child, the period of 100 years from the date of the child’s birth;

  in relation to information relating to a death, the period of 50 years from the date of the death;

  in relation to information relating to a marriage or a civil partnership, the period of 75 years from the date the marriage was solemnised or the civil partnership was registered;

  in relation to information relating to presumed deaths, the period of 50 years from the presumed date of death;

• “relevant register” means:

  a register of births or deaths, for which the 1976 Order provides, but not a register of still-births;

  the Adopted Children Register for which Article 50(1)(a) of the Adoption (Northern Ireland) Order 1987 provides;

  any marriage registration record, for which the Marriage (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 provides;

  any civil partnership registration record, for which the Civil Partnership Act 2004 provides; or

  the Register of Presumed Deaths, for which section 15(1) of the Presumption of Death Act (Northern Ireland) 2009 provides;

• “remote search” means a search in a relevant register which is conducted by any person at a place other than the General Register Office or a Register Office using electronic communications;

• “second female parent” means a woman who is a parent of a child by virtue of section 42 or 43 or, where appropriate, section 46(1) or (2) of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008

• “short birth certificate” means a certificate of birth issued under Article 40 of the 1976 Order;

• “short death certificate” means a certificate of death issued under Article 40A of the 1976 Order;

• “signature” or “sign” shall include the entering of a person’s name in such manner as the Registrar General may direct;

• “status” means marital or civil partnership status.

In these Regulations, any reference to a numbered form shall be construed as a reference to the form bearing that number in Schedule 1; and any reference to a numbered space on a form shall be construed as a reference to the space bearing that number on the form.