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

14 Duty to give information of particulars of birth. S

(1) Subject to the subsequent provisions of this Part of this Act, in the case of every birth it shall be the duty of—

(a) the [F1 child’s father or mother (whether or not they have attained the age of sixteen years)], or

(b) in the case of the death or inability of the father and mother, each other person who under the next following subsection is qualified to give information concerning the birth,

within twenty-one days from the date of the birth, to [F2 give to the district registrar for a registration district information of the prescribed particulars concerning the birth]:

Provided that the giving of that information F3 ... by the father or the mother or by any one of those persons shall constitute a discharge of any duty imposed by this subsection on any other person.

[F4 (1A) For the purposes of subsection (1) above, a person shall give information of the prescribed particulars concerning a birth to the district registrar for a registration district by—

(a) attending personally at the registration office for that district and—

(i) giving to the registrar information of the particulars required to be registered concerning the birth, and

(ii) attesting, in the prescribed manner, the prescribed form (in this Part, the “birth registration form”) concerning the birth in the presence of the registrar, or

(b) submitting to the registrar by a prescribed means a birth registration form concerning the birth which has been completed by the person and attested by him in the prescribed manner.]

(2) The following persons, in addition to the father and mother, shall be qualified to give information concerning the birth of a child, that is to say—

(a) any relative of either parent of the child, being a relative who has knowledge of the birth;

(b) the occupier of the premises in which the child was, to the knowledge of that occupier, born;

(c) any person present at the birth;

(d) any person having charge of the child.

(3) Nothing in this F5 ... section shall authorise the registration of the particulars of any birth in two or more registers, or more than once in any one register.

(4) If it appears to the Registrar General that the particulars of the birth of any child have been registered in two or more registers, or more than once in any one register, he may give directions for the cancellation of all those registrations except such one of them as may be specified in the directions.

[F6 (5) In this section, any reference to the father or parent of the child shall not include a reference to a father who is not married to the mother and has not been married to her since the child’s conception.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 14(1)(a) substituted (1.11.1995) by 1995 c. 36, s. 99(1); S.I. 1995/2787, art. 3, Sch.

F2 Words in s. 14(1) substituted (1.10.2006 for specified purposes) by Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 14), ss. 39(3)(a)(i), 63(2); S.S.I. 2006/469, art. 2, Sch. 1 (with art. 4)

F3 Words in s. 14(1) repealed (1.10.2006 for specified purposes) by Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 14), ss. 39(3)(a)(ii), 63(2); S.S.I. 2006/469, art. 2, Sch. 1 (with art. 4)

F4 S. 14(1A) inserted (1.10.2006 for specified purposes) by Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 14), ss. 39(3)(b), 63(2); S.S.I. 2006/469, art. 2, Sch. 1 (with art. 4)

F5 Words in s. 14(3) repealed (1.10.2006 for specified purposes) by Local Electoral Administration and Registration Services (Scotland) Act 2006 (asp 14), ss. 39(3)(c), 63(2); S.S.I. 2006/469, art. 2, Sch. 1 (with art. 4)

F6 S. 14(5) added by Law Reform (Parent and Child) (Scotland) Act 1986 (c. 9, SIF 49:8), s. 10(1), Sch. 1 para. 8(1)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 14(1) modified (1.11.1995) by 1995 c. 36, s. 99(2); S.I. 1995/2787, art. 3, Sch.