Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965

56 Interpretation.S

(1)In this Act, except where the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the meanings respectively assigned to them, that is to say—

  • [F1 “the 2011 Act” means the Certification of Death (Scotland) Act 2011 (asp 11);]

  • “birth”, except in relation to registers of births, includes a still-birth;

  • “district registrar” has the meaning assigned to it in section 7(12) of this Act;

  • “function” includes power and duty;

  • [F2 “local authority” means a council constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994;]

  • [F3 “medical reviewer” means a person appointed under paragraph 7A(1) of Schedule 5A to the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (c. 29);]

  • F4 . . .

  • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F5

  • “name” means Christian name or forename;

  • “occupier”, in relation to any institution, includes the governor, keeper, matron, superintendent, or other person in charge thereof, and, in relation to a house, includes any person residing therein;

  • [F6 “parentage” has the meaning assigned to it in section 8 of the Law Reform (Parent and Child) (Scotland) Act 1986, and “non-parentage” shall be construed accordingly;]

  • [F7 “parental responsibilities” has the meaning given in section 1(3) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995;]

  • “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made under section 54 of this Act;

  • “qualified informant”, in relation to any birth or death, means a person who is by this Act required or stated to be qualified to give information concerning that birth or death;

  • “relative” includes a relative by marriage, . . . F8 [F9, a civil partner and anyone related to the civil partner of the person as regards whom the expression is being construed];

  • [F10 “senior medical reviewer” means a person appointed under paragraph 7A(2) of Schedule 5A to the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978 (c. 29);]

  • “still-born child” means a child which has issued forth from its mother after the [F11twenty-fourth week] of pregnancy and which did not at any time after being completely expelled from its mother breathe or show any other signs of life, and the expression “still-birth” shall be construed accordingly;

  • F4 . . .

(2)Except in so far as the context otherwise requires, any reference in this Act to any other enactment shall be construed as a reference to that enactment as amended by or under any other enactment, including this Act.

[F12(3)Section 1(1) (legal equality of children) of the Law Reform (Parent and Child) (Scotland) Act 1986 shall apply to this Act; and any reference (however expressed) in this Act to a relative shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be construed accordingly.]

Subordinate Legislation Made

P1S. 56: s. 54(1) (with ss. 28A(4), 37(2)(3), 38(2)(3), 40(1), 43(8), 47 and 56) power exercised by S.I. 1991/2817.

Textual Amendments

F2Definition of “local authority” in s. 56(1) inserted (1.4.1996) by 1994 c. 39, s. 51(5) (with s. 7(2)); S.I. 1996/323, art. 4(1)(a), Sch. 1

F4Definitions in s. 56(1) repealed (25.9.1991) by Age of Legal Capacity (Scotland) Act 1991 (c. 50, SIF 49:8), ss. 10(2), 11(2), Sch. 2

F7Definition in s. 56(1) inserted (1.11.1995) by 1995 c. 36, s. 105(4), Sch. 4 para. 12(5); S.I. 1995/2787, art. 3, Sch.

F9Words in s. 56(1) inserted (14.9.2005) by Civil Partnership Act 2004 (c. 33), ss. 136, 263(3); S.S.I. 2005/428, art. 2, Sch.

F11Words in s. 56(1) substituted (1.10.1992) by Still-Birth (Definition) Act 1992 (c. 29), ss. 1(2), 4(2).