The Registration of Births and Deaths Regulations 1987

Correction of other minor clerical errors after completion E+W

56.—(1) Where it appears or is represented to the superintendent registrar or the registrar that there is any clerical error to which this Regulation applies in a completed entry made on or after 1st April 1969, on the information of a qualified informant, in a register of live-births or deaths in his custody, he shall correct the error–

(a) in the presence–

(i) of that informant, and

(ii) where the register is in the custody of the registrar, of the superintendent registrar; and

(b) in the manner provided in Regulation 54(1)(a), (b), (c), or (e) whichever is appropriate.

(2) Where an error is corrected in accordance with paragraph (1) the superintendent registrar or registrar concerned shall write in the margin of the corrected entry a note in whichever of the following forms is appropriate–

• “Error in ... ... ... ...corrected on ... ... ... ...by me ... ... ... ...registrar, in the presence of ... ... ... ...and ... ... ... ...superintendent registrar”, or

• “Error in ... ... ... ...corrected on ... ... ... ...by me ... ... ... ...superintendent registrar, in the presence of ... ... ... ...”,

and shall complete and sign the note in the places provided.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), this Regulation applies to the following clerical errors–

(a) in a live-birth entry (form 1)–

(i) in space 1, in the date or place of birth, but not both, provided the correct place of birth is within the sub-district where the birth was registered and the correct date of birth is within 3 months of the date of registration,

(ii) in space 5, in the father’s place of birth,

(iii) in space 6, in the father’s occupation,

[F1 (iv) in space 8a, in the mother’s place of birth and in space 8b in the mother’s occupation,]

(v) in space 10, in the mother’s usual address,

(vi) in space 12, in the qualification of the informant, unless neither the father nor the mother, provided the identity of the informant is clear from the signature in space 14 and this is consistent with the information in space 4 or 7,

(vii) in space 13, in the usual address of informant,

(b) in a death entry (form 13)–

(i) in space 1, in the date or place of death, but not both, provided the corrected place of death is within the sub-district in which the death was registered and the corrected date of death is within 12 months of the date of registration,

(ii) in space 3, consisting of the omission of the sex of the deceased provided the sex as corrected is consistent with the name of the deceased in space 2,

(iii) in space 4, in the deceased’s maiden surname,

(iv) in space 5, consisting of the incorrect statement or omission of one, but not both, of the date or place of birth but, in the case of an incorrect statement of the [F2 former] only if the date is not corrected by more than one year,

(v) in space 6, consisting of the incorrect statement or omission of the occupation of the deceased or of the deceased’s husband [F3 or wife or civil partner] or parents or of the usual address of the deceased or of the omission of the words “son [or daughter] of ... ... ... ...” and of the names and surnames of the deceased’s parents,

(vi) in space 7(a), in the informant’s name or surname provided this is consistent with the signature in space 9,

(vii) in space 7(c), in the informant’s usual address.

(4) This Regulation applies only where the qualified informant on whose information the original entry was made attends to witness the correction.

[F4 (5) Where a clerical error to which this Regulation applies relates to an entry required to be made by any of regulations 20, 22, 23 and 26A the superintendent registrar or the registrar concerned shall—

(a) send a report to the Registrar General enclosing a copy of the entry; and

(b) correct the entry as directed by the Registrar General.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Reg. 56(3)(a)(iv) substituted for reg. 56(3)(a)(iiia)(iv) (1.4.1995) by The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994/1948), regs. 1(1), 7 (with reg. 9)

F2 Word in reg. 56(3)(b)(iv) substituted (1.4.1989) by The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/497), regs. 1(1), 10(b) (with reg. 13)

F3 Words in reg. 56(3)(b)(v) inserted (5.12.2005) by The Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Amendment) Regulations 2005 (S.I. 2005/3177), regs. 1, 6(3)

F4 Reg. 56(5) added (4.4.1988) by The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Regulations 1988 (S.I. 1988/638), regs. 1(1), 4

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 56 in force at 1.1.1988, see reg. 1