{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/births-and-deaths-registration-northern-ireland-order-1976/article-15",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/births-and-deaths-registration-northern-ireland-order-1976/article-15.json",
  "legislation": "nisi/1976/1041",
  "legislation_title": "Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/births-and-deaths-registration-northern-ireland-order-1976",
  "path": "article/15",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "15",
  "heading": "Special provisions as to still-births",
  "text": "(1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .\n(2) Where an inquest is held by a coroner on any still-born child, a qualified informant shall not be under any duty to give any information under this Part concerning the still-birth.\n(3) A certificate in the prescribed form must be delivered to the registrar, by approved electronic means and without delay, by—\n(a) a registered medical practitioner who was present at the still-birth or has examined the body of the still-born child, or\n(b) if there is no registered medical practitioner within sub-paragraph (a), a registered midwife who was present at the still-birth or has examined the body.\n(3A) But paragraph (3) does not apply if—\n(a) the still-birth has been referred to the coroner, or\n(b) the medical practitioner or midwife (as the case may be) intends to refer the still-birth to the coroner.\n(4) A certificate for the purposes of paragraph (3) shall—\n(za) be signed in the prescribed manner (which may be by approved electronic means) by the person delivering the certificate;\n(a) state that the child was not born alive; and\n(b) where possible, state to the best of the knowledge and belief of the person signing it—\n(i) the cause of the still-birth;\n(ii) the weight of the foetus; and\n(iii) the estimated duration of the pregnancy.\n(5) A medical practitioner or midwife who is required to deliver a certificate under paragraph (3) must give a copy of the certificate, free of charge, to any qualified informant who requests it.\n(6) Upon registering a still-birth a registrar shall give to—\n(a) the informant, if the informant so requests, and\n(b) the person who has control over, or who ordinarily effects the disposal of bodies at, any burial ground or other place at which it is intended to dispose of the body of a still-born child,\na certificate in the prescribed form that he has registered the still-birth.\n(7) Where a registrar receives notice of a still-birth from an informant and a certificate delivered under paragraph (3), he may, before registering the still-birth, give to —\n(a) the person who gave that notice, if the person so requests, and\n(b) the person who has control over, or who ordinarily effects the disposal of bodies at, any burial ground or other place at which it is intended to dispose of the body of a still-born child,\na certificate in the prescribed form that he has received notice of the still-birth.\n(8) A certificate given under paragraph (6) or (7) shall—\n(a) be given only for the purposes of the disposal of the body of the still-born child; and\n(b) be free of charge.\n(9) Where a person who has control over or ordinarily effects the disposal of bodies at any burial ground or other place permits the disposal of the body of a still-born child in that ground or place he shall, unless he receives in respect of that child a certificate under paragraph (6) or (7) or an order or authorisation of the coroner, give notice of the disposal in the prescribed form to the registrar of the district in which the still-birth occurred, within seven days from the date of the disposal.\n(10) The Registrar General shall provide forms for the purposes of paragraph (9).\n(11) Any person who fails to comply with paragraph (9) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 1 on the standard scale in respect of each disposal of which he fails to give notice.",
  "extent": "N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Art. 15(1) repealed (3.10.2011) by Civil Registration Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 (c. 20), ss. 5(2), 33, 34, Sch. 2; S.R. 2011/323, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Art. 15(3)(3A) substituted for art. 15(3) (23.3.2026) by Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 (c. 2), ss. 3(2), 12(1); S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Art. 15(4)(za) inserted (23.3.2026) by Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 (c. 2), ss. 3(3), 12(1); S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Art. 15(5) substituted (23.3.2026) by Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 (c. 2), ss. 3(4), 12(1); S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in art. 15(6) substituted (23.3.2026) by Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 (c. 2), ss. 3(5)(a), 12(1); S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in art. 15(6) renumbered as art. 15(6)(b) (23.3.2026) by Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 (c. 2), ss. 3(5)(b), 12(1); S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in art. 15(7) substituted (23.3.2026) by Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 (c. 2), ss. 3(6)(a), 12(1); S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in art. 15(7) substituted (23.3.2026) by Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Act (Northern Ireland) 2026 (c. 2), ss. 3(6)(b), 12(1); S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(b)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "1984 NI 3"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Art. 15(3) restricted (temp.) (26.3.2020) by Coronavirus Act 2020 (c. 7), s. 87(2), Sch. 13 para. 18(3) (with ss. 88-90, Sch. 13 para. 30); S.I. 2020/361, reg. 2(a)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "Art. 15(5) restricted (temp.) (26.3.2020) by Coronavirus Act 2020 (c. 7), s. 87(2), Sch. 13 para. 18(1)(2) (with ss. 88-90, Sch. 13 para. 30); S.I. 2020/361, reg. 2(a)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/1976/1041/article/15",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T04:53:49.962650+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}