UK-International Guide On Civil Status

International practical guide on civil status
UNITED KINGDOM
Situation as at: March 2011
UNITED KINGDOM
General Introduction
Chapters 1 to 9
International Commission on Civil Status
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GENERAL INTRODUCTION
The United Kingdom consists of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. For historical reasons,
England and Wales have a common legal system which is different from those of both Scotland and Northern Ireland. This
is why civil registration in the United Kingdom is governed by various laws; the differences between the three systems
therefore justify separate introductions.
ENGLAND AND WALES
General information
The population of England and Wales in 2008 was around 54.4 million inhabitants and some 1,500 registrars registered
around 1.44 million events.
Texts regulating civil registration

The main laws regulating the registration of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships are:
Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953.
The Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations 1987.
Marriage Act 1949.
The Registration of Marriages Regulations 1986.
The Registration Service Act 1953.
Civil Partnership Act 2004.
Civil Partnership (Registration Provisions) Regulations 2005.

Under The Registration Service Act 1953, the sovereign appoints a Registrar General for England and Wales who has
authority, with the approval of the relevant Minister, to make regulations which have the force of law, and to set the amount
of civil registration fees subject to approval by Parliament. He or she also has authority to give instructions and directions to
registrars on the exercise of their functions.
Organisation of civil registration

Registrars
Responsibility is shared between the Registrar General and 174 Local Councils which appoint the staff and are responsible
for the premises and equipment. The office of the Registrar General is known as the "General Register Office" (GRO).
The registrar records, in the appropriate registers, all births, all still-births, all deaths, all civil marriages and certain religious
marriages occurring in England and Wales.
The civil partnership registrar who is specially appointed for this purpose is the registrar who must personally attend the
formation of civil partnerships. Said registrar must sign the civil partnership registration certificate which is then signed by
the couple and their witnesses. However, any local authority employee working at a local register office may carry out the
civil preliminaries and may, once the civil partnership has been formed, register the event in the civil partnership register.
The Superintendent Registrar conducts civil marriages and is responsible for the civil preliminaires. With regard to religious
marriages, a distinction is made according to whether or not the marriage is solemnised by a minister of the established
church Church of England and Church in Wales. The Church in Wales is no longer an established church but applies the
same marriage procedures as the Church of England. Nuptial rites in the Church of England and the Church in Wales
provide for the publication of banns before the marriage but may also include civil preliminaries. Marriages are solemnised
and registered by a member of the clergy. Non-conformist marriages are all preceded by civil preliminaries. They are
generally solemnised by a minister and are registered by a registrar or any authorised person (who is not the same as the
person authorised to register civil partnerships. In this context, an authorised person is generally a person from the
congregation, appointed by the trustees of the building).
It should be noted that the various events relating to one person are not in principle linked together: the registers relate the
facts as they were at the time of registration.
Inspection and supervision of civil registration
The inspection of civil registration is administrative, not judicial. This inspection is carried out by 6 Account Managers who
are appointed by the Registrar General. Decisions taken by the latter may be appealed against to the courts or by making a
complaint, via a Member of Parliament, to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman).
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Civil registers
registers of births
registers of marriages
registers of civil partnerships
registers of deaths
registers of still-births
abandoned children register
parental order register
adopted children register
gender recognition register
adoption contact register
Except for the registers of still-births which are sent to the Registrar General once they have been filled, the original
registers of births, deaths and marriages are kept by the local registration services. However, copies of the entries held
locally are sent electronically to the Registrar General. The registers of abandoned children, adopted children, the gender
recognition register and the adoption contact register are kept and maintained by the Registrar General.
Civil partnerships also form an exception to the rule as their register is electronic and may be accessed at both local and
central register offices. A copy of the records does not therefore need to be sent to the GRO. The Registrar General also
keeps a register of adoptions notified to him or her by the courts. When a court makes an adoption order, the Registrar
General makes a note of this adoption on the original entry in the register of births and registers the adoption in the adopted
children register. The link between the two is confidential. However, the Registrar General also keeps an Adoption Contact
Register so that an adopted child can, on reaching the age of majority, be put in contact with his or her natural family, if both
parties consent to this.
There is no register of divorces. However, an index is kept by the courts which is held by the Principal Registry of the Family
Division.
Finally, events or decisions relating to British nationals abroad are not in principle registered in England and Wales.
However, events involving British nationals which have taken place abroad may be registered by the relevant British
authority; the Consulate in the country concerned, the British Armed Forces (if the event involves a serving member of the
forces) the Air authority (if a birth or death occurred on a British registered aircraft) or the Marine authority (if the birth or
death occurred on a British registered vessel).
The Registrar General and the heads of the local registration services must create an index of all the records which they
hold.
Items included in the main registers
Birth: date and place of birth (the time is indicated only if more than one living children are born); forenames, surname and
sex of the child; fathers or second female parents forenames, surname, place of birth and occupation; mothers forenames,
surname, place of birth, occupation, maiden surname (surname under which the mother entered into her first marriage or
civil partnership), surname under which the mother contracted the marriage to the father, or civil partnership to the second
female parent, if different from maiden surname, and usual address; informants forename, surname, address and
signature; date of registration and signature of registrar.
Death: date and place of death; forenames, surname, sex, maiden surname where applicable, date and place of birth,
occupation and usual address of the deceased (if the deceased is under 16 years of age, the parents names and
occupations will be indicated instead of the occupation of the deceased; if the deceased was married or widowed, in a civil
partnership or survived a civil partner, the spouse or partner's name and occupation will be indicated); informants
forename, surname, capacity, usual address and signature; cause of death; date of registration and signature of registrar.
Marriage:
- for both the bride and groom: forenames, surname, age, marital or civil partnership condition, occupation and address at
the time of marriage; fathers forenames, surname and occupation,
- date and place of marriage, signature of the couple, signature of two witnesses, signature of person solemnising the
marriage, signature of registrar.
Civil partnership: the items are similar to those included in the registers of marriages.
As a general rule, an entry made in a register cannot be amended or updated. However, if it is established that an error was
made at the time of registration, this error may be corrected and a marginal note giving the correct information may be
added to the entry, together with the date when this was added and the signature of the registrar making the correction. In
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addition, if a new entry is made (known as "re-registration", e.g. after legitimation), this re-registration and its reference are
also noted at the bottom of the original entry.
Documents issued from the registers

The law provides that certain events must be notified to various authorities (e.g.: births to the local public health authorities,
deaths to the local tax authorities).
Information is provided through the issue of:
certified copies which reproduce the information as it appears in the register together with any corrections. These
certified copies are accepted in court as evidence of the events to which they relate.
short birth certificates indicating only the forename, surname, sex, date of birth and registration service district and subdistrict.
Except in the case of still-births for which the permission of the Registrar General is required, anyone can obtain a certified
copy, provided that the entry can be identified from the limited information appearing in the public index and provided that
the corresponding fees are paid.
Consultation of registers
Under the law, everyone has a right of access to the indexes to the registers and can obtain a certified copy of an entry by
paying a fee. Only current birth, death and marriage registers for which no index has yet been created can be consulted.
Once a register has been filled and is held by the head of the registration service responsible for the area to which the
register relates, the register can no longer be consulted, only the index to that register. An index contains the information
needed to identify a registered event, in particular the surname and forename.
Useful address
Identity and Passport Service
General Register Office for England and Wales
Smedley Hydro - Trafalgar Road
SOUTHPORT PR8 2HH, England, United Kingdom
Tel. +44-(0) 845 603 7788 Internet: http://www.ips.gov.uk/gro or http://www.direct.gov.uk/gro
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SCOTLAND
General information
Scotlands population in 2009 was around 5.19 million inhabitants and some 230 Scottish register offices and 750 registrars
registered around 141,240 events.

The main laws regulating the registration of civil events are:
Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965, amended by The Local Electoral Administration and
Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006.
Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977, amended by The Marriage (Scotland) Act 2002.
Registration of Births, Still-Births, Deaths and Marriages (Prescription of Forms) (Scotland) Regulations 1997.

Under the 1965 Act, the First Minister of Scotland appoints a Registrar General who has authority to adopt regulations
having the force of law and to set the amount of fees, subject to approval by the Scottish Parliament. He or she also has
authority to give instructions and directions to registrars on the exercise of their functions.

Responsibility is shared between the Registrar General for Scotland and 32 Local Councils which are responsible for the
staff, premises and equipment. They employ around 750 registrars. The office of the Registrar General for Scotland is
known as the "General Register Office for Scotland" (GROS).
The Registrar General appoints three examiners who inspect the work of the registrars. The inspection of registration is
administrative, not judicial. Decisions taken by the Registrar General may in principle be appealed against to the courts or
by making a complaint, via a Member of Parliament, to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman).
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Civil registers
registers of births
registers of deaths
registers of still-births
register of parental orders
register of divorces
register of dissolutions of civil partnership
register of corrections
The registrars hold the registers in which they must enter any births, still-births, deaths and marriages (civil and religious)
occurring in their district in Scotland. However, the 2006 Act amended the law. Since 1 January 2007, anyone may go to
any register office in Scotland in order to register a birth or death which has occurred in Scotland. Therefore, although the
registrar enters a birth or death in his or her own registers, it is now permitted to enter, in these same registers, events
which have occurred in another region of Scotland. The registrars are responsible for the publication of all marriages, they
conduct civil marriages and they issue the Marriage Schedule for religious marriages. The civil partnership registrar is
specially appointed for this purpose. He or she must personally attend the formation of the civil partnership and must sign
the civil partnership registration certificate which will then be signed by the couple and their witnesses However, any
registrar at a local register office may carry out the pre-registration procedures or may, once the civil partnership has been
formed, register the event in the register of civil partnerships.
The old procedure involved drawing up two versions of the register page. In the past, the original registers were sent to the
Registrar General in Edinburgh at the end of each calendar year. The Registrar General then kept the originals and sent a
copy to the local register office. Nowadays, registrars in Scotland use a computer system directly connected to the office of
the Registrar General (GROS). This computer system allows a paper register page and an electronic record to be created
at the same time. Both media have the same evidential value. The electronic record is stored by the GROS which is
responsible for holding the records centrally within a special database which may be accessed by all registrars. The
registrar must keep the paper register page until this has been inspected by one of the three examiners mentioned above.
As indicated above, in the past this formality was carried out at the end of each calendar year. Nowadays it occurs much
more frequently. The Scottish civil registration services have now introduced a more modern inspection procedure. As a
result, the examiners are responsible for inspecting the records for the current year as and when these are produced. The
examiners inspect both the electronic data and the paper register pages. After the electronic record has been inspected, the
registrar sends the paper page to the GROS and the GROS keeps the paper registers in Edinburgh. The GROS then
creates a digital image of the register page which is made available on our network to all registrars. While waiting for this
procedure to be completed, the registrar may issue abbreviated certificates from the digital image or the electronic record.
Once the record has been digitised and computerised, the registrar may issue abbreviated certificates from either the digital
image or the electronic record. It should be noted that the various events relating to one person are not in principle linked
together: the registers relate the facts as they were at the time of registration.
The Registrar General holds all the registers indicated in the above list. When a court makes an adoption order, the
Registrar General enters the adoption in the register of births and in the adopted children register. The link between the two
is confidential. However, there is a birthlink register that is kept informally by a charity which is not answerable to the
register office. When a court makes a divorce order, a note regarding the divorce is not currently entered in the register of
marriages. The same rule applies to the register of civil partnerships and to the register of dissolutions of civil partnership.
As a general rule, an entry made in a register cannot be amended. However, the Registrar General holds a register of
corrections in which any amendments made to the other registers can be recorded. Some amendments are, however,
possible: an entry may be corrected if it is established that an error of fact was made at the time of registration; a birth entry
may be cancelled and replaced where the parents subsequently marry; a marriage entry may be cancelled where a court
declares the marriage to be void. When an entry is made in the register of corrections, a marginal note beside the original
entry makes reference to this. The same applies when a court makes a parental order, the subject of the entry changes his
or her name or further information about a death becomes available.
Finally, events or decisions relating to Scottish nationals abroad are not in principle entered in the Scottish registers.
However, there are exceptions to this: there is therefore a rule under which the persons concerned may declare the events
to the Consulate on their own initiative and, in certain cases, there are special registers. The foreign certificate is then
included in the file.
The Registrar General and the heads of the local registration services must create an index of all the records which they
hold.
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Birth: childs forenames, surname and sex; date, time and place of birth; mothers forenames, surname, maiden surname
and usual address; fathers/parent's forenames, surname and occupation; date and place of parents marriage or civil
partnership; signature of informant, date of registration and signature of registrar.
Death: forenames, surname, sex, occupation, marital status, date of birth and age of deceased; time, date and place of
death, cause of death; usual address, forenames, surname and occupation of spouses or civil partners; forenames,
surname and occupation of father/parent of the deceased; forenames, surname and occupation of mother/parent of the
deceased; signature of informant, date of registration and signature of registrar.
Marriage:
for both the bride and groom: forenames, surname, sex, occupation, marital or civil partnership status, date and place
of birth and usual address; fathers/parent's forenames, surname and occupation; mothers/parent's forenames,
surname and occupation;
name of person solemnising the marriage; name and address of two witnesses; date of registration and signature of
registrar.
Registered civil partnership: the items are similar to those included in the registers of marriages.

deaths to the local tax authorities). Information is provided through the issue of official extracts which in most cases
reproduce the information as it appears in the register together with any corrections entered in the register of corrections.
These extracts are accepted in court as evidence of the events to which they relate. Article 56 of the 2006 Act authorises
the Registrar General for Scotland to provide, electronically, to any public body or office-holder (in the United Kingdom or
abroad) any information recorded in the registers of births, still-births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships, corrections,
divorces and dissolutions of civil partnership. As indicated above, electronic information has the same evidential value as
the paper record or an extract from the registers.
Except in the case of still-births for which the permission of the Registrar General is required, anyone may obtain an extract
on payment of the relevant fees.
Under the law, everyone has a right of access to the indexes to the registers by paying a fee and can, by paying a further
fee, obtain an extract.
Persons paying for access to the indexes to the registers are generally also authorised, by an administrative decision of the
Registrar General which is not enshrined in statute, to consult the registers. This consultation involves examining the
aforementioned digital images from computer terminals located either at the office of the Registrar General in Edinburgh or
at any other register office in Scotland. Although no direct reference is made to this process in any specific statute, it is
made possible by the extended powers granted to the Registrar General by Article 1 paragraph 3 of the 1965 Act.
Useful address
General Register Office for Scotland
New Register House
GB - EDINBURGH EH 1 3YT, Scotland, United Kingdom
Tel. +44 131 334 0380 Fax +44 131 314 4400
Internet: http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk
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NORTHERN IRELAND
General information
Northern Irelands population in 2009 was around 1.788 million inhabitants and some 105 registration staff registered
around 49,000 events.

The main texts regulating the registration of civil events are:
The Marriage (Northern Ireland) Order 2003.
Registration (Births, Still-Births and Deaths) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1973.
The Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976.

Under the respective law, the relevant Permanent Secretary (Department of Finance and Personnel) appoints a Registrar
General for Northern Ireland who has authority to adopt regulations having the force of law and to set the amount of fees,
subject to approval by Parliament (Northern Ireland Assembly). He or she also has authority to give instructions and
directions to registrars on the exercise of their functions.

Registrars
Responsibility is shared between the Registrar General and 26 Local Councils which are responsible for the staff, premises
and equipment. They employ 26 registrars, assisted by 79 deputies. The office of the Registrar General for Northern Ireland
is known as the "General Register Office for Northern Ireland" (GRONI).
All births, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths occurring in Northern Ireland must be registered. The registrar registers
the births, still-births, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths occurring in his or her district and then sends the records to
the Registrar General. Registrars also conduct civil marriages and civil partnerships.
Northern Ireland uses a computer system (RCM) directly connected to the General Register Office. This computer system
creates a paper register page and an electronic record at the same time. Both media have the same evidential value. The
electronic record is stored by GRONI which is responsible for holding the records centrally on RCM which may be accessed
by all registrars. The registrar returns the paper registrations on a weekly basis.
Inspection and supervision of civil registration
The Registrar General carries out an annual inspection on the work of the registrars. This inspection is administrative, not
judicial. Decisions taken by the Registrar General may in principle be appealed against to the courts or by making a
complaint, via a Member of Parliament, to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (Ombudsman).
Civil registers
registers of births
registers of deaths
register of presumed death
register of still-births
register of parental orders
adoption contact register
The Registrar General holds the registers of births, marriages, civil partnerships, still-births and deaths. He or she also
holds the register of adoptions notified to him or her by the Northern Ireland courts. When a court makes an adoption order,
the Registrar General enters the adoption in the register of births and also registers this in the adopted children register.
The link between the two is confidential, but there is a contact register. There is no register of divorces, but divorces are
recorded for statistical purposes. The Registrar General also holds: (a) the gender recognition register where an entry is
made on receipt of a gender recognition certificate; and (b) the registers of presumed death and parental orders where an
entry is made on receipt of the appropriate court order.
Every year the Registrar General must create an index of the records which he or she holds.
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As a general rule, an entry made in a register cannot be amended or updated. However, if it is established that an error was
made at the time of registration, this error may be corrected and a marginal note giving the correct information may be
added to the entry, together with the date when this was added and the signature of the authorising officer. In addition, if a
new entry is made (known as "re-registration", e.g. after legitimation), this re-registration and its reference are also noted at
the bottom of the original entry.
Events or decisions occurring abroad are not entered in the registers.
Birth: childs forenames, surname and sex; date and place of birth; mothers forenames, surname, maiden surname and
usual address; fathers (second female parents) forenames, surname and occupation; signature of informant, date of
registration and signature of registrar.
Death: forenames, surname, sex, occupation, marital status and date of birth of the deceased; date and place of death,
cause of death; usual address, forenames, surname and occupation of spouse/partner; signature of informant, date of
registration and signature of registrar.
Marriage:
for both the bride and groom: forenames, surname, sex, occupation, marital or civil partnership status, age and date of
birth and usual address; fathers name and occupation,
name of the person solemnising the marriage; name of two witnesses; date of registration and signature of registrar,
where applicable.
Civil partnership: the items are similar to those included in the registers of marriages.

deaths to the computer centres of the social security services). Information is provided to certain government agencies,
either electronically or through the issue of certified copies which, in most cases, reproduce the information as it appears in
the register. These certified copies are accepted in court as evidence of the events to which they relate:
full certificates
short birth certificates
Except in the case of still-births for which permission from the Registrar General is required, anyone may obtain a copy
provided that the entry can be identified from the information appearing in the public index and provided that the
corresponding fees are paid.
Under the law, everyone has a right of access to the indexes to the registers by paying a fee and may, by paying a further
fee, obtain a certified copy.
Useful address
General Register Office for Northern Ireland
Oxford House
49-55 Chichester Street
BELFAST BT1 4HL, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Tel. +44 1232 252 000 Fax +44 1232 252 044
www.nidirect.gov.uk
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EVIDENTIAL VALUE OF REGISTERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

In England and Wales, the details of registered births, deaths and still-births are input into a computer system known as
RON. RON allows the page of a register held by the register office where the event was registered to be printed out. An
electronic copy of the register page is sent to the GRO. It is the register page that constitutes the official record of the event.
All certified copies and all short certificates must be true to the original page of the register (and must be certified true to the
original entry) or, if these documents are issued by the Registrar General, must be true to the electronic copy held by the
GRO. All corrections to an entry must be made on the register page. RON will be updated at the same time as the
electronic copy held by the GRO. Extracts issued from the registers of births, stillbirths and deaths constitute sufficient proof
of the events to which they refer. However, the records stored on RON do not have the same evidential value as the
register pages or the certified copies and short certificates issued from these registers.
The details of marriages conducted by the registrar are entered in a bound register which, once filled, is kept by the register
office. Marriages registered by a registrar will also be recorded on RON, although the legal record will remain the bound
registers. Marriages registered by an authorised person or member of the clergy are recorded in duplicate bound registers.
When these duplicate registers have been filled, one of these is kept by the church while the other one is sent to the local
register office to be kept there. Paper copies of all register entries are then sent to the GRO every quarter. On receipt of
these, the GRO will record them on RON./on receipt of these at the GRO, they will also be recorded on RON.
Certified copies of entries of marriage may be issued either by the register office holding the register from RON, or by the
church or also by the Registrar General (also from RON). The entry in the bound register (or, where duplicate registers are
kept, the entry in one of the bound duplicate registers), constitutes the official record of the event. All certified copies and
short certificates must be true to the original page of the register (and must be certified true to the original entry) or, if they
are issued by the Registrar General, must be true to the paper copy kept by the GRO. In the event of corrections, these
must be made on the original entry in the bound register (or, where duplicate registers are kept, on both original entries at
the same time).
Civil partnerships are recorded directly on the RON system and it is this record stored on RON which constitutes the official
record of the event. All certified copies and all certified extracts must be true to the original entries recorded on RON. In the
event of corrections, these must be made to the records stored on RON.
In Northern Ireland, the details of all registered events are input into a computer system known as RCM. All events
registered since 1997 are recorded on this RCM system. Entries made in the registers since 1973 have been typed onto
tear-off pages bound together within a register. Before 1973, entries were made by hand in the registers. Nowadays, the
registrar prints out a register page from the computer system which is then signed by the informant and the registrar. This
document constitutes the official record of the event and the register pages are sent to the GRONI every week. The GRONI
and the registrars for the 26 local councils may access all the electronic entries made since 1997 and may issue certified
copies of these entries which they stamp with the official stamp of the register office. In the event of amendments or
corrections, these must be made on the paper page of the register and in the electronic register. Article 41 paragraph 4 of
The Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976 stipulates that: A certified copy issued under Article 34
[issue by the GRONI] or 38 [issue by the registrars] shall be deemed to be a true copy of the entry in question
notwithstanding that it is made on a form different from that on which the original entry was made if any differences in the
column headings under which the particulars appear in the original entry and the copy respectively are differences of form
only and not of substance.
In Scotland, section 41A of the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965 stipulates that an extract
from the register or a notice (namely an electronic message equivalent to an extract) shall be sufficient evidence of the
event to which it relates (births, still-births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships, divorces or name changes). Section 41A
was inserted into the 1965 Act by The Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006. This
decision has therefore allowed the provisions laid down by section 41 to be extended so that they cover the new concept of
electronic messages.
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Nota bene:
In the following answers, the information is generally given for Scotland on the one hand and for England on the
other. The information for the latter is always valid for Wales as well and, in principle, unless otherwise indicated,
is also valid for Northern Ireland.
1. GENERAL ORGANISATION
1.1
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
1.1.1 When was the registration service established?

The secular registration service was established:
in England and Wales, by two acts: the Marriage Act and the Births and Deaths Registration Act which both entered
into force on 1 July 1837;
in Northern Ireland, by the Marriage (Ireland) Act 1844 and the Births and Deaths Registration (Ireland) Act 1864;
in Scotland, by the Registration (Scotland) Act 1854 which entered into force on 1 January 1855.
1.1.2 Which authorities were empowered before this date and what is the evidential value of documents drawn
up by them?
The established religious authorities, namely: Church of England; Church in Wales (which is no longer an established
church but does apply the same marriage procedures as the Church of England); Church of Scotland and Church of Ireland.
In England and Wales, and in Northern Ireland, the registers were not handed over to the registration service. Entries made
in these registers by the religious authorities are not regarded as civil registration documents but they do retain their
previous value. In Scotland, the parish registers handed over to the Registrar General under the 1854 and 1965 Acts have
the same evidential value as entries made in current registers.
1.2
ORGANISATION OF THE REGISTRATION SERVICE
1.2.1 Is the registration service secular?

Yes, by virtue of the texts cited above. See 1.1.1.
1.2.2 Events registered by religious authorities: a) Do any events registered by religious authorities have any
civil-status effects and, if so, which? b) Must an event registered by a national religious authority be transcribed or
registered by a civil authority and what are the consequences of failure to transcribe or register this event?
England and Wales:
a) Yes. Ministers of the established churches may solemnise marriages without any civil preliminaries. They keep the
register of marriages in duplicate and send one copy to the registrar once this has been filled. In addition, every three
months, they must send the registrar a copy of the entries of marriages which they have solemnised. These copies are
then kept centrally at the General Register Office in Southport. For other religions, a marriage licence must be issued in
advance by the civil authority. The registrar or any other person designated by the religion must be present during the
ceremony and must register the marriage. In addition, events registered abroad in a religious form are accepted as
valid if this form is in common use in the respective country and both parties were free to contract the marriage under
the laws of their country of domicile.
b) See above. Failure to register the marriage does not affect its validity.
Scotland:
a) Yes. A religious marriage may be solemnised by the minister of a religion authorised by law (Marriage (Scotland) Act
1977) or by a member of another religion specially authorised by the Registrar General. The religious ceremony must
necessarily be preceded by the registrar issuing a document known as a Marriage Schedule. This document will be
returned, after having been completed by the celebrant, so that it can be transcribed in the register of marriages. In
addition, events registered abroad in a religious form are accepted as valid if this form is in common use in the
respective country.
b) See above. The document must be returned within three days. Failing this, the registrar will take the necessary steps to
register the event.
Northern Ireland:
a) Yes. A religious marriage may be solemnised by an officiant (namely, the minister of a religion specially authorised by
the Registrar General), provided that the parties have presented to the officiant a marriage schedule issued by the
registrar. Following the ceremony, this document is signed by the officiant, the parties and the witnesses before being
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b)
returned, by the parties, to the registrar who will register the marriage (Marriage (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, art. 7,
9, 10, 14 and 15).
Once signed, the marriage schedule must be returned to the registrar within three days of the ceremony, failing which
the registrar shall take the necessary steps to register the marriage (Marriage (Northern Ireland) Order 2003, art. 16
and 17).
1.2.3 Which of your national authorities are authorised to register events? In which language(s) are these
registered?
England and Wales:
local registrars, who are officials appointed by the Local Councils, register births, still-births, marriages, civil
partnerships and deaths; they also correct entries in registers and make new entries in the event of re-registration;
the Registrar General registers adoptions, parental orders, abandoned children and gender recognition certificates;
certain British registering authorities: see 1.3.2. Registrations of vital events are not the sole preserve of Consular
officers. Events are also registered by UK Armed Forces and UK Aviation and Maritime authorities.
Scotland:
local registrars, who are officials appointed by the Local Councils, register births, still-births, marriages, civil
partnerships and deaths; they also make new entries in the event of re-registration;
the Registrar General registers adoptions, parental orders, divorces, dissolutions of civil partnership and gender
recognition certificates; he or she also corrects entries in registers;
certain British registering authorities: see 1.3.2.
Northern Ireland: the situation is currently very similar to that in England and Wales.
For the whole of the United Kingdom: all register entries must be made in English. In Wales, on request, an entry may be
made in both English and Welsh.
1.2.4 Which authorities hold and keep the registers?
Events registered in the United Kingdom: In England and Wales, registers of births, marriages and deaths are kept both
locally by the registrars and centrally by the Registrar General; both copies are identical. The civil partnership register
consists of a single register kept by the Registrar General but which is accessible at the same time by both local register
offices and the General Register Office. The other registers (still-births, adopted children, parental orders and gender
recognition) are kept solely by the Registrar General. In Scotland, all registers are kept centrally by the Registrar General.
All entries made in the registers, except for those relating to still-births, parental orders, adopted children and gender
recognitions, may be consulted by local registrars at their own register office via a secure computer network. This network
allows registrars at local register offices to issue extracts from all register entries made in Scotland. In Northern Ireland,
GRONI keeps the original registers of births, deaths, marriages and civil partnerships. Registrations on RCM since 1997 are
available to all local registration staff who may produce certified copies. For events prior to 1997 and for entries relating to
still-births, parental orders, adopted children and gender recognitions, certified copies are only available from the General
Register Office.
Events registered abroad: see 1.3.2.
1.2.5 Is there a central or regional service for non-consular records?
As the registers are kept both locally and by the Registrars General in Southport, Edinburgh and Belfast, any user can
request a copy from the latter or from their local register office. In addition, some registers are kept solely by the Registrars
General.
1.2.6 Do any local districts have several registration services or offices? If so, is the information held centrally?
The Local Councils very often cover several registration districts and the information is frequently held centrally.
1.2.7 What are the different categories of registered events and registers used in your country? Is direct
consultation of registers possible and, if so, under what conditions?
Scotland:
registered events: births, still-births, marriages, civil partnerships, deaths, adoptions, divorces, dissolutions of civil
partnership; corrections of existing entries; parental orders, and gender recognitions.
registers:
held by the central office and accessible by registrars at the local register offices via a secure network:
registers of births, registers of marriages, registers of civil partnerships, registers of deaths, register of divorces,
register of dissolutions of civil partnership, and register of corrections.
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held by the central office but not accessible by registrars at the local register offices: registers of still-births,
adopted children register, register of parental orders relating to births involving human assisted reproduction and
surrogate mothers, and gender recognition register.
England and Wales:
-
registered events: births, still-births, marriages, civil partnerships, deaths, adoptions, divorces and corrections of
existing entries;
registers:
held in duplicate: registers of births, registers of marriages (since 1/1/2011 civil marriages may be registered in
an electronic format), registers of deaths and civil partnership registers (produced in electronic format and
accessible by both local register offices and the central office),
held in one copy: register of still-births, adopted children register, register of parental orders relating to births
involving human assisted reproduction and surrogate mothers, gender recognition register and an abandoned
children register.
Northern Ireland:
registered events: births, still-births, marriages, civil partnerships, deaths and adoptions.
registers:
centrally held registers of births and deaths;
centrally held registers of marriages;
centrally held civil partnership register;
centrally held registers of still-births and adopted children;
register of parental orders;
gender recognition register;
register of presumed deaths.
In the three jurisdictions, a request may be made to consult the indexes to these registers, except for the index of still-births.
Where applicable (i.e. in uncompleted registers), further information on a particular entry can be read from the register to
the applicant. The applicant can obtain a copy of entries for which a fee will be charged. It is not possible to consult the
index to the gender recognition register.
Until these have been filled, anyone may ask to consult the registers. For civil partnerships only indexes can be searched.
Subsequently, everyone has the right to consult the indexes to all registers, except for the index to the register of still-births.
Copies may be issued to any applicant on request. Likewise, in Scotland, the Registrar General allows the digital images of
these records to be consulted.
1.2.8 a) Are registers created or reproduced by computer? b) Can information reproduced by computer be
consulted by third persons?
England and Wales: a) and b): For births and deaths, the details are input onto a computer software system known as RON.
A register page is printed from RON and signed by the informant. An electronic copy of the information is sent to the
Registrar General. An index of all the information is produced at the end of the year. Only the index can be consulted. Since
1/1/2011 civil marriages may be registered directly on RON but the legal record remains the register entry. Religious
marriages can be recorded on RON with the submission of the quarterly returns sent every April, July, October and
January.
Scotland: a) and b): In the vast majority of cases (>98%), births, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths are registered on
computer. Indexes are automatically created and updated by the software. Register entries are printed out from the
computer record and are signed by the registrar and the informants or persons appearing. After signature, the electronic
record is sent to a central database. The remaining events, i.e. <2%, which are registered by hand are entered in the GROS
database within 10 days of registration. As a result, all events are accessible via the database. This database may be
consulted at any register office, by any individual. As indicated above, local registrars can access the details on registered
events by consulting the database, but they can also access the digital images of the register pages. This all occurs via a
secure intranet.
Northern Ireland: The current situation is very similar to that in Scotland.
1.3
CONSULAR REGISTRATION
1.3.1 Do your laws prohibit foreign diplomatic agents or consular officers from exercising, in your territory, the
functions of a registrar with regard to their nationals?
All births, all marriages, all civil partnerships and all deaths must be registered by the local registrar. However, foreign
diplomatic agents and consular officers are not prohibited from registering these events also.
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1.3.2 Do your laws give your diplomatic agents or consular officers the right to exercise abroad the functions of a
registrar with regard to your nationals?
Yes. British diplomatic agents or consular officers may exercise the functions of a registrar within the limits compatible with
local law. They keep registers in which, on request, they will enter births and deaths where these events are documented by
certificates issued by the local authorities. They are also empowered to solemnise and register marriages in certain
countries (Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Nepal, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Yemen).
Consular registers are kept in situ, with a copy being sent every year to the General Register Office in Southport. The latter
then forwards the entries relating to Scottish or Northern Irish nationals to the respective Registrars General.
In addition, except in Commonwealth countries, British nationals may present to the consulate a foreign marriage certificate
accompanied by its translation. The consul then transmits the documents, via the Foreign Ministry, to the competent
Registrars General who then issue certified copies of these entries.
In certain specific cases, consuls may be authorised to register a civil partnership where at least one of the parties is British
[United Kingdom national] (Civil Partnership Act 2004, s. 210).
1.3.3 Is there a central service for consular records?
No, but the competent Registrars General hold the records drawn up, where applicable, by the consulate (see 1.3.2.).
1.4
Specific observations: None.
2. COMMON RULES FOR THE REGISTRATION OF VARIOUS EVENTS

2.1
REGISTRATION OF EVENTS
2.1.1 Which categories of people are involved in registering events?
For births, still-births and deaths: the registrar, the informant(s).
For marriages:
in England and Wales, and in Northern Ireland: the husband and wife, two witnesses, the person officiating at the
marriage (a superintendent registrar for civil marriages, usually a Minister for religious marriages ) and, where
applicable, the registrar registering the event. In England and Wales, a civil marriage entry must be signed by the
couple, two witnesses, the superintendent registrar and the registrar. A non-conformist marriage entry must be
signed by the couple, the witnesses, the person officiating at the ceremony and the authorised person (unless this
is the same as the person officiating at the marriage) or a registrar. The entry for a marriage solemnised according
to the rites of the Church of England or the Church in Wales must be signed by the couple, two witnesses and the
member of the clergy who conducted the marriage ceremony.
in Scotland: the registrar, the husband and wife and two witnesses and, for religious marriages, the celebrant.
For civil partnerships: the two partners, two witnesses and the registrar.
2.1.2 What does the registrar do if a person cannot sign or does not know how to sign?
In the case of births and deaths, the person is asked to sign by making a mark. This circumstance is noted in the entry and
attested, where applicable, by the registrar or two witnesses. For marriages, where a person signs the register by way of a
mark or signs in characters of a foreign language, the registrar writes against the mark or signature the words The mark (or
signature) of ..................... and insert the forenames and surname of that person.
2.1.3 What is the means of appeal against the refusal to register an event?
A refusal by a local registrar is reported to the Registrar General. If it seems to the latter that the refusal is unjustified, he or
she will order the registration. If he or she confirms the refusal, an appeal may be brought before the courts. The same
procedure applies in all cases of refusal.
2.1.4
2.2
CORRECTION CANCELLATION REPLACEMENT ADDITION
2.2.1
Can incorrect entries be corrected? How?
In England and Wales, straightforward errors may be corrected by the registrar himself or herself. For births, still-births
and deaths, in the case of errors which are not solely minor errors, entries may be corrected by the registrar in the
presence of the informant and the superintendent registrar. In the case of more major errors (e.g. those relating to the
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name) and for any error in an entry of marriage, the correction must be authorised by the Registrar General. If he or she
refuses, legal proceedings may be brought.
In Scotland: in the case of straightforward errors of fact, the registrar may correct the register until this is inspected by
one of the examiners. Once inspection of the registers has begun, the Registrar General may authorise an examiner to
make the correction. For more major errors, the Registrar General may have a correction entered in the register of
corrections. This correction will also be noted in a box provided specifically for this purpose on the page where the
original entry is recorded. If he or she refuses, legal proceedings may be brought.
In Northern Ireland a registrar may correct an error on the day of registration. All other corrections require the authority
of the Registrar General. [- does this refer to an error concerning the day of registration? Or is that the only time he can
correct an error?]
2.2.2 Cancellation of entries: a) In what instances may an entry be cancelled and by which authority? b) What are
the effects of cancellation? c) Can a copy or extract of the cancelled entry be issued?
a)
b)
c)
An entry may be cancelled if it was made on a declaration by a person who did not have the requisite capacity or in the
event of duplicate registration or if the event is declared to be incorrect (entry of death for a person who is still alive or
entry of birth for a child who has not been born). In these different cases, cancellation is decided by the Registrar
General. An entry will also be cancelled if the legal act which gave rise to this entry is cancelled by a court decision
(e.g. marriage annulled due to bigamy). The same applies if a previous court decision is declared invalid. There is a
particular difference for England and Wales: a marriage entry may be blocked, not cancelled. The marriage still took
place and the registration is not evidence that the marriage is valid. Therefore the entry is blocked so that requests for
certificates are referred to the Registrar General but certificates can still be issued from the entry.
The cancelled entry is deemed to no longer exist and so cannot produce any effect. The cancellation is noted in the
register. In addition, the entry is rendered unusable.
In principle no, but the Registrar General could, where applicable, authorise the issue of this.
2.2.3
Are destroyed or lost entries replaced? How?
Yes. If a register is lost, destroyed or mutilated or becomes illegible, the registrar must report this to the Registrar General.
The register which has been mutilated or become illegible must be sent to the latter. The Registrar General then takes the
necessary steps to replace the register and authenticates this with his or her signature (Registration of Births, Deaths and
Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965, s. 36). A similar system applies in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
2.2.4
Do your laws provide for omitted entries or entries which cannot be produced to be added?
Omitted entries:
In England and Wales: where a birth has not been declared within the statutory period, the registrar has an
additional period to register the birth under the prescribed conditions (up to three months, he or she may act alone;
between three and twelve months, in conjunction with the superintendent registrar and using a special form known
as a declaration). After this period, the birth can be registered only on the authority of the Registrar General, with
appropriate evidence being furnished. As regards deaths, the registrar may himself or herself register these during
a period of twelve months. After this period, he or she can only do this with the authorisation of the Registrar
General. Where a marriage register has been stolen and there is no duplicate record held at the GRO, the
Registrar General may authorise a late registration of this marriage.
In Scotland: where a birth or death has not been declared within the statutory period, the registrar has an additional
period of three months from the date of the event to register this under the prescribed conditions. After this period,
he or she refers this to the Registrar General and the latter, after having conducted an inquiry, may have the entry
made on his or her declaration (Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965, ss. 17 and 26).
In Northern Ireland where a birth or death has not been declared within the statutory period, the registrar has an
additional period of up to one year to register the event. After one year the authority of the Registrar General is
required to register a late event.
Where an entry cannot be produced, it is sufficient to obtain the relevant particulars from the person concerned after having
drawn his or her attention to the penalties which he or she may incur if a false declaration is made.
2.2.5 What is the means of appeal against the refusal to correct, cancel or replace an entry or add one in its
absence?
Same solution as in the case of a refusal to make an entry: see 2.1.3.
2.2.6
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2.3
TRANSCRIPTION AND NOTATION
2.3.1 Which events registered in the national territory are transcribed or noted elsewhere? Where are they
transcribed or noted? What is the legal value of this transcription or notation?
There is no transcription in the strict sense. However,
in England and Wales, and in Northern Ireland, even though the declaration may be made elsewhere, the event is
always registered at the place of its occurrence (Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953, ss. 1 and 9 and Birth and
Death Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976).
in Scotland: births and deaths may be registered at any register office in Scotland (Registration of Births, Deaths and
Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965, ss. 14 and 23).
2.3.2 Which decisions of the national authorities are transcribed or noted elsewhere? Where are they transcribed
or noted? What is the legal value of this transcription or notation?
-
In England and Wales, only adoption decisions are transcribed, with a new entry of birth being made in the adopted
children register held in Southport. The same procedure applies to court decisions on parental orders where the entry of
birth was originally made in the surrogate mothers name.
Adoption decisions made in Northern Ireland are transcribed in the central adopted children register held in Belfast.
In Scotland, adoption, divorce, marriage annulment and civil partnership dissolution and annulment decisions are
transcribed in the central registers of adopted children, divorces and dissolutions of civil partnership, as appropriate,
held in Edinburgh.
In all three jurisdictions, gender recognition certificates are transcribed in a central gender recognition register and a new
entry of birth is made (Gender Recognition Act 2004).
2.3.3 Are events registered abroad transcribed or noted elsewhere? Where are they transcribed or noted and
under what conditions? What is the legal value of this transcription or notation?
Events or decisions concerning British nationals abroad are not in principle registered in the United Kingdom. However,
there are exceptions. As a result, there are rules which apply:
in England and Wales, whereby the persons concerned may declare events to the Consulate. See 1.3.2. or the relevant
registering authority. Events may be registered by British Armed Forces, Air or Maritime authorities.
in Scotland, whereby the persons concerned may declare events to the Consulate on their own initiative and, in certain
cases, there are special registers. The foreign certificate is then included in the file of the person concerned.
2.3.4 Are any foreign decisions transcribed or noted elsewhere? Where are they transcribed or noted and under
what conditions? What is the legal value of this transcription or notation?
Only adoption decisions recognised in accordance with the Hague Convention of 15 November 1965 are transcribed in the
central adopted children registers.
2.3.5
What is the means of appeal against the refusal to transcribe or note an event or decision?
See 2.1.3.
2.3.6
2.4
SUBSEQUENT INFORMATION
2.4.1 What are the categories of subsequent notes or annotations used in your country? What is their evidential
value?
-
England and Wales, and Northern Ireland: As a general rule, subsequent notes or annotations cannot be added to
entries. However, if it is clearly established that an error was made at the time of registration, this may be corrected and
a marginal note giving the correct information will be added to the entry, accompanied by the date on which this
correction was made and the signature of the registrar making the correction. In the event of re-registration, this fact
and the corresponding reference are indicated in a note at the bottom of the original entry. Cancellation decisions are
also noted on the entry. Both have the same evidential value as the original entry. Where an autopsy is carried out
following the registration of a death, a note will then be added to the entry made in the register, indicating the autopsys
conclusions.
Scotland: As a general rule, subsequent notes or annotations cannot be added to entries. However, the Registrar
General keeps a register of corrections in which he or she records any changes made to the other registers if it is
established that an error of fact was made at the time of registration. The entry of a birth may be cancelled and
replaced if the parents subsequently marry and the entry of a marriage or civil partnership may be cancelled where a
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UNITED KINGDOM
court annuls the marriage or civil partnership. When information appearing in the entry is amended, only the
corresponding reference to the register of corrections is noted on the entry. Cancellation decisions are also noted on
the entry. The same procedure applies when a court makes a parental order, when the subject of the entry changes his
or her name or when new information relating to a death comes to light.
2.4.2
Which events or decisions give rise to subsequent notes or annotations? Where are they recorded?
See 2.4.1.
2.4.3
What is the means of appeal against the refusal to record subsequent information?
A refusal in this case may be submitted to the Registrar General for an opinion. See 2.1.3.
2.4.4
2.5 COPIES AND EXTRACTS FROM REGISTERS

2.5.1 Which official documents inform interested persons of the contents of register entries? Which authorities
are authorised to issue these documents? In which language(s) are they issued?
The following are issued from the registers:
certified copies which reproduce the information as it appears in the register, together with any corrections. However,
the civil partnership registers are subject to a slightly different procedure. Anyone can obtain an extract of a civil
partnership entry, issued from the registers held by each of the three jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. Extracts
issued from the registers held in England and Wales are certified copies of the original entries but do not indicate the
couples address. If the applicant wishes to obtain a full copy of the entry, he or she must give the couples address
as they appear in the entry made in the civil partnership register. These restrictions do not apply in either Scotland or
Northern Ireland where anyone can obtain an extract indicating all the information contained in the register. The
applicant simply needs to supply enough information to the GRO or registrar to allow the entry made in the register
to be identified.
short birth certificates or abbreviated certificates indicating only the forename, surname, sex, date of birth and
register office;
in Scotland, abbreviated death certificates indicating only the prescribed information which must appear in an
abbreviated death certificate and which is as follows:
(a) registration district in which the death was registered (and the number of this registration district);
(b) year of registration of the death;
(c) number of the entry;
(d) forename and surname;
(e) sex of the deceased;
(f) date of birth of the deceased;
(g) date of death, and
(h) place of death.
A fee is charged for the issue of these documents.
As the registers are kept both locally and by the Registrars General in Southport, Edinburgh and Belfast, any user can ask
the latter or the local register office for a copy.
These documents are issued in English. However, in Wales, they may be bilingual if, on request, the entry was made in
both English and Welsh.
2.5.2 Can these documents be issued by computer? Can they be obtained directly by interested persons using a
computer (automatic dispensers, internet, etc.)?
-
Yes.
Scotland is the only region which, since January 2003, has allowed individuals to directly access the information held in
the central database. A document can be ordered directly from this database but will be issued by the registrar or by the
Registrar General and will then be sent by post so that it has evidential value.
2.5.3 What are the physical signs guaranteeing the authenticity of these documents: a) if issued by the
competent authority from the registers? b) if issued by the competent authority by computer? c) if obtained directly
by interested persons?
a)
and b) Copies and extracts are issued on numbered security paper which is signed and stamped by the issuing
authority.
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UNITED KINGDOM
c) Not applicable.
2.5.4 What is the evidential value and period of validity of these documents: a) if issued by the competent
authority from the registers? b) if issued by the competent authority by computer? c) if obtained directly by
interested persons?
a)
and b) Certified copies and short certificates have the same evidential value as the entry itself. Their period of validity is
unlimited.
c) Not applicable.
2.5.5
What is the means of appeal against the refusal to issue a copy or extract?
See 2.1.3.
2.5.6 What evidential value are copies and extracts of foreign entries recognised as having? Must they be
translated into your language in order to be used in your country?
In practice, they are valid until proven otherwise. If the registrar does not know the foreign language, he or she will request a
translation, if possible by a sworn or approved translator.
2.5.7 Which conventions or agreements signed by your country apply: a) to the transmission of these documents?
b) to the abolition of legalisation formalities? c) to the issue of documents free of charge?
a)
Agreements on the transmission of documents:

Vienna Convention on Consular Relations signed on 24 April 1963 which entered into force for the United Kingdom
on 8 June 1972.
It should also be mentioned that, under Article 29(5) of the Consular Convention signed in 1963 between Spain and
the United Kingdom, the birth of a child where one of the parents indicates that he or she is a Spanish national, the
death of a Spanish national or a marriage involving a Spanish national must be declared to the Spanish consul.
b) Agreements to abolish legalisation formalities:
Hague Convention No 12 of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public
Certificates which entered into force for the United Kingdom on 24 January 1965.
Convention No 63 of the Council of Europe (European Convention on the Abolition of Legalisation of Documents
Executed by Diplomatic Agents or Consular Officers) signed in London on 7 June 1968 which entered into force for
the United Kingdom on 14 August 1970.
c) Agreements to issue documents free of charge:
Convention No 19 of the Council of Europe (European Convention on Establishment, Article 8: case of indigence)
of 13 December 1955 which entered into force for the United Kingdom on 14 October 1969.
2.5.8
2.6
FAMILY RECORD BOOK
2.6.1 Is a family record book issued in your country? Which authorities are empowered to issue this? To whom is
it given?
No.
2.6.2
What information does this contain and what is its evidential value?
Not applicable.
2.6.3
What evidential value is the information in a foreign family record book recognised as having?
Not applicable.
2.6.4
Is an entry made by a foreign authority in your national family record book valid in your country?
Not applicable.
2.6.5
Are your national authorities authorised to make entries in foreign family record books?
Not applicable.
2.6.6
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ENGLAND AND WALES

Texts regulating civil registration

Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953.

The Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations 1987.

Marriage Act 1949.

The Registration of Marriages Regulations 1986.

The Registration Service Act 1953.

Civil Partnership Act 2004.

Civil Partnership (Registration Provisions) Regulations 2005.

Organisation of civil registration

International Commission on Civil Status

International practical guide on civil status

International Commission on Civil Status

International practical guide on civil status

Documents issued from the registers

Texts regulating civil registration

Civil Partnership Act 2004.

Organisation of civil registration

International practical guide on civil status

International practical guide on civil status

Items included in the main registers

Documents issued from the registers

International Commission on Civil Status

International practical guide on civil status

Texts regulating civil registration

The Marriage (Northern Ireland) Order 2003.

Registration (Births, Still-Births and Deaths) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1973.

The Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976.

Civil Partnership Act 2004.

Organisation of civil registration

International practical guide on civil status

Documents issued from the registers

International Commission on Civil Status

International practical guide on civil status

EVIDENTIAL VALUE OF REGISTERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM

International Commission on Civil Status

International practical guide on civil status

1.1.1 When was the registration service established?

ORGANISATION OF THE REGISTRATION SERVICE

1.2.1 Is the registration service secular?

International practical guide on civil status

International Commission on Civil Status

International practical guide on civil status

International Commission on Civil Status

International practical guide on civil status

Specific observations: None.

2. COMMON RULES FOR THE REGISTRATION OF VARIOUS EVENTS

2.1.1 Which categories of people are involved in registering events?

For births, still-births and deaths: the registrar, the informant(s).

Specific observations: None.

CORRECTION CANCELLATION REPLACEMENT ADDITION

Can incorrect entries be corrected? How?

International Commission on Civil Status

International practical guide on civil status

Are destroyed or lost entries replaced? How?

Specific observations: None.

International Commission on Civil Status

International practical guide on civil status

TRANSCRIPTION AND NOTATION

Specific observations: None.