PART IIREGISTRATION OFFICERS
Qualifications for appointment4.
A candidate for appointment to a registration office must be qualified in accordance with the following conditions:—
(a)
he must produce satisfactory evidence as to character;
(b)
he must have attained the age of 21;
(c)
he must not have attained the age of 65;
(d)
if he has attained the age of 55 he must—
(i)
in the case of a candidate for appointment as superintendent registrar, previously have held a registration office or deputy registration office for at least 5 years in the aggregate;
(ii)
in the case of a candidate for appointment to any other registration office, previously have held a registration office or a deputy registration office for a period in the aggregate at least equal to that which has elapsed since he attained the age of 55:
Provided that the council may appoint a candidate who is not qualified under paragraph (c), or a candidate who is not qualified under paragraph (d), if the Registrar General is satisfied that there is no other suitable candidate for appointment.
Disqualifications for appointment5.
Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation 4, no person shall be qualified for appointment—
(a)
to any registration office—
(i)
if he has been declared bankrupt and has not subsequently obtained his discharge, or if he has made any composition or arrangement with his creditors and has not subsequently paid his debts in full or obtained a certificate of discharge;
(ii)
if he has been dismissed from any office by the Registrar General and the Registrar General does not consent to the appointment;
(iii)
if he is, or has been during the 12 months preceding the date on which the appointment is to take effect, a member of the council or of a committee of the council having duties in relation to the appointment of registration officers;
(iv)
if he is an officer or servant, other than the clerk or deputy clerk, of a local authority employed by them in the performance of duties relating to their functions as a burial authority;
(v)
if he holds any office as authorised person, secretary (for marriages) of a synagogue or registering officer of the Society of Friends;
(vi)
if he is a minister of religion, a medical practitioner, a midwife, an undertaker or other person concerned in a burial or cremation business, a person engaged in any business concerned with life insurance, or a person engaged in any other calling which would conflict with or prevent the proper performance in person of the duties of the office for which he is a candidate;
(b)
as superintendent registrar, if he holds office as a registrar or any deputy registration office;
(c)
as registrar, if he holds office as a superintendent registrar or is a coroner.
Powers and duties of deputy6.
(1)
Subject to the provisions of regulation 9, a deputy may in the absence of his principal perform any of the duties of his principal, notwithstanding that his absence may not be unavoidable or occasioned by illness; and a deputy registrar may register—
(a)
a birth, still-birth or death in respect of which his principal acts as informant, or
(b)
a marriage to which his principal is a party or witness.
(2)
Subject as aforesaid, a deputy may, while his principal is performing any duties of his office, perform any of the duties of his principal which are not reserved to the principal under the local scheme.
(3)
As soon as a deputy has acted continuously as such for one month in the absence of the principal he shall make a report of the fact to the Registrar General, stating to the best of his ability the circumstances to which the principal's absence from duty is due and the date when the principal expects to resume his duties.
Vacation of office7.
(1)
A superintendent registrar or a registrar may resign his office by giving to the clerk such notice in writing as may have been determined at the time of his appointment; and at the same time he shall inform the Registrar General accordingly.
(2)
When a deputy to a superintendent registrar or to a registrar ceases to hold office, the superintendent registrar or the registrar, as the case may be, shall inform the clerk and the Registrar General.
Lists of officers, offices and hours of attendance8.
(1)
A superintendent registrar shall from time to time, at such intervals as he may with the approval of the clerk think fit, cause to be printed a list of the principal officers holding office within his district, stating their names, head offices and stations and their days and hours of attendance, and shall furnish two copies of the list to the Registrar General and one copy each to—
(i)
the superintendent registrar of each district adjoining his district;
(ii)
the chief officer of every hospital in the district;
(iii)
the chief officer of every police station in the district;
(iv)
every coroner having jurisdiction in the district;
(v)
the clerk of the council of every urban or rural district and parish wholly or partly situated in the district;
(vi)
every medical practitioner and midwife practising in the district; and
(vii)
such other persons as he may consider expedient for the convenience of the public;
and in the event of any changes in the list he shall notify the change to the persons to whom the list has been supplied.
(2)
A superintendent registrar and a registrar of births and deaths shall cause to be exhibited and maintained outside his office and out-stations (if any) a notice stating his name, his official description, the name of his district or sub-district and the hours when his office and out-stations (if any) are open to the public.
Duality of function9.
(1)
A registrar shall not register—
(a)
a birth, still-birth or death of which he is an informant, or
(b)
a marriage to which he is a party or a witness.
(2)
A person who holds jointly the offices of registrar and deputy superintendent registrar shall not perform any of the duties of the superintendent registrar in relation to any duties which he performs as registrar.
General conduct, etc. of officers10.
(1)
An officer shall not, while discharging his official duties with any person attending upon him at his office or otherwise coming into communication with him in his official capacity, transact or attempt to transact or to further the transaction of any business of a private nature, either on his own behalf or on behalf of any other person or body.
(2)
An officer shall not, without the express authority of the Registrar General, publish or communicate to any person, otherwise than in the ordinary course of the performance of his official duties, any information acquired by him while performing those duties.
(3)
An officer shall comply with any instruction or direction, whether particular or general, given to him by the Registrar General in any matter relating to the due performance by the officer of his duties in the execution of any enactment relating to his functions (not being a matter for which specific provision is made).
Statistical returns11.
A superintendent registrar or a registrar shall at such times and in such manner as the Registrar General may direct send to the Registrar General such information concerning births, still-births, deaths and marriages as he may require to be extracted from the records kept by the officer.
Inspection, etc., of books12.
Every officer shall submit all books and forms in his possession to inspection by any person authorised in that behalf by the Registrar General, and shall if so required by the Registrar General give him a statement as to the books and forms in his possession.