Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953

41 Interpretation. E+W

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

• “birth” includes a live–birth and a still–birth;

• “disposal”, in relation to a dead body, means disposal by burial, cremation or any other means, and cognate expressions shall be construed accordingly;

• [F1 “father”, in relation to an adopted child, means the child’s natural father;]

• “general search” means a search conducted during any number of successive hours not exceeding six, without the object of the search being specified;

• “house” includes a public institution;

• “live–birth” means the birth of a child born alive;

• “the Minister” means [F2 the Chancellor of the Exchequer];

• [F1 “mother”, in relation to an adopted child, means the child’s natural mother;]

• “occupier” in relation to a public institution, includes the governor, keeper, master, matron, superintendent, or other chief resident officer, and, in relation to a house let in separate apartments or lodgings, includes any person residing in the house who is the person under whom the lodgings or separate apartments are immediately held, or his agent;

• “particular search” means a search of the indexes covering a period not exceeding five years for a specified entry;

• “public institution” means a prison, lock–up or hospital, and such other public or charitable institution as may be prescribed;

• “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made under section thirty–nine of this Act;

• “qualified informant”, in relation to any birth or death, means a person who is by this Act or, in the case of a birth or death occurring before the commencement of this Act, by any enactment repealed by this Act required, or stated to be qualified, to give information concerning that birth or death;

• “registrar” in relation to any birth or death, means the registrar of births and deaths for the sub–district in which the birth or death takes place, or where any [F3 still–born child] is found exposed or any dead body is found and no information as to the place of birth or death is available, for the sub–district in which the child or the dead body is found;

• “relative” includes a relative by marriage . . . F4

• “still–born child” means a child which has issued forth from its mother after the [F5 twenty -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;

• “superintendent registrar” in relation to any registrar, means the superintendent registrar of births, deaths and marriages for the district in which that registrar’s sub–district is situate.

Textual Amendments

F1 Definition inserted by Children Act 1975 (c. 72), Sch. 3 para. 13(6)

F2 Words in s. 41 substituted (1.4.1996) by S.I. 1996/273, art. 5(1), Sch. 2 para. 12

F3 Words substituted by Children Act 1975 (c. 72), Sch. 3 para 13(1)

F4 Words repealed by Children Act 1975 (c. 72), Sch. 4 Pt. I

F5 Words in s. 41 substituted (1.10.1992) by Still-Birth (Definition) Act 1992 (c. 29), ss. 1(1), 4(2).