acthub.beta

Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Act (Northern Ireland) 2026

Sections23

Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Act (Northern Ireland) 2026

2026 Chapter 2

An Act to amend the law relating to the manner of notification of deaths, still-births and births and the manner of giving particulars relating to them; and to make provision for the issue of certificates recognising the loss of a baby.

Enacted [25th February 2026]
Be it enacted by being passed by the Northern Ireland Assembly and assented to by His Majesty as follows:

Registration

I11 Introductory

In this Act—
  • “the 1976 Order” means the Births and Deaths Registration (Northern Ireland) Order 1976;
  • “the 2012 Regulations” means the Civil Registration Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012.

I2I202 Power to approve electronic means

After Article 2(3) of the 1976 Order insert—
.

I3I213 Giving certificate of still-birth directly

1 Article 15 of the 1976 Order is amended as follows.
2 For paragraph (3) substitute—
.
3 In paragraph (4), before sub-paragraph (a) insert—
.
4 For paragraph (5) substitute—
.
5 In paragraph (6)—
a for “, if so required, give to the informant or to” substitute
;
b the words from “the person who has control” to “a still-born child,” become sub-paragraph (b).
6 In paragraph (7)—
a for “written notice of a still-birth accompanied by such a certificate as is mentioned in paragraph (3)” substitute “notice of a still-birth from an informant and a certificate delivered under paragraph (3)”;
b for “the person sending the notice” substitute
.
7 In the 2012 Regulations—
a in regulation 21(b), omit “a written” and for “accompanied by a certificate” substitute “and a certificate has been”;
b in Schedule 1, in Form 10, in the opening lines, omit “a written” and for “accompanied by” substitute “and”.

I4I224 Giving certificate of cause of death directly

1 In Article 22 of the 1976 Order—
a for “sends to the registrar a written notice” substitute “notifies the registrar”;
b for “, accompanied by such medical certificate of the cause of the death as is required by Article 25 to be given to the registrar,” substitute “and the medical certificate of the cause of death has been given to the registrar as required by Article 25(2)”.
2 Article 25 of that Order is amended as follows.
3 In paragraph (2), for “to a qualified informant” substitute “to the registrar”.
4 After paragraph (2) insert—
.
5 In paragraph (3), for “an informant” substitute “the registrar”.
6 After paragraph (3) insert—
.
7 In paragraph (4), for the words from “An informant” to “and” substitute “Where a registered medical practitioner gives to the registrar a certificate under paragraph (2) together with such other particulars as are required to be given under that paragraph,”.

I5I235 Giving certificate of registration, or written notice of death, directly

1 Article 29 of the 1976 Order is amended as follows.
2 In paragraph (1)—
a for “the person giving information concerning the death” substitute
;
b omit “under his hand”.
3 In paragraph (2)—
a omit “written”;
b for “the person sending the notice, if required to do so,” substitute
;
c omit “under his hand”.
4 In the 2012 Regulations—
a in regulation 28(ii), omit “a written”;
b in Schedule 1, in Form 13, in the heading and in footnote (a), omit “written”.

I6I246 Registration of particulars of still-birth

1 Regulation 16 of the 2012 Regulations is amended as follows.
2 In paragraph (2)—
a for “, 11 and 12(4)” substitute “and 11”;
b omit the words from “but a qualified informant” to the end.
3 After paragraph (2) insert—
.
4 After paragraph (3) insert—
.
5 In consequence of the amendments made by subsections (2) and (4), in regulation 30(2)(b) of the 2012 Regulations, for “regulation 12(4) as applied by regulation 16(2)” substitute “regulation 16(4)”.
6 In Schedule 1 to the 2012 Regulations—
a in Form 2, for entry 15 substitute “Signature or Name of person professing to be informant”;
b in Form 2A, for entry 15 substitute “Síniú nó ainm an duine a dhearbhaíonn gurb é féin an faisnéiseoir”;
c in Form 2B, for entry 15 substitute—
.

I7I257 Manner in which particulars of death are required to be given

1 Regulation 25 of the 2012 Regulations is amended as follows.
2 In paragraph (1), for “by attending personally at any Register Office and giving that information to the registrar” substitute
.
3 In paragraph (3)(a), for “the qualified informant shall” substitute “if the qualified informant has attended personally, the informant must”.
4 In Schedule 1 to the 2012 Regulations—
a in Form 3, for entry 16 substitute “Signature or Name of person professing to be informant”;
b in Form 3A, for entry 16 substitute “Síniú nó ainm an duine a dhearbhaíonn gurb é féin an faisnéiseoir”;
c in Form 3B, for entry 16 substitute—
.

I88 Minor amendments relating to births and still-births

The Schedule to this Act contains minor amendments.

I99 No restriction on power to amend Regulations

The amendments made by this Act to the 2012 Regulations do not restrict any power conferred by any statutory provision to amend, modify or revoke those Regulations.

I10I2610 Repeal of temporary provisions

Section 18(3) of, and Part 3 of Schedule 13 to, the Coronavirus Act 2020 (registration of deaths and still-births: Northern Ireland) are repealed.

Certificates recognising the loss of a baby during pregnancy

I1111 Certificates of baby loss

1 The Department of Finance shall by regulations make provision for the issue, by the Registrar General of Births and Deaths, of certificates which recognise the loss of a baby during pregnancy.
2 The regulations may provide for the recognition of any loss which is not a still-birth within the meaning of the 1976 Order.
3 The regulations may include, in particular, provision about the following matters—
a the conditions for the issue of a certificate;
b the information that a certificate is to contain;
c who may apply for a certificate;
d the form of an application, and what information may be required to accompany the application;
e the charging of fees for—
i any copies of a certificate other than the original and the first copy of it (but not for an amended certificate or any copies of it);
ii the issue of any certificate (or copy) by an expedited service.
4 Regulations under this section—
a may make such consequential, supplementary or incidental provision as the Department considers appropriate, and
b may amend any statutory provision (within the meaning given by section 1(f) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954).
5 Regulations may not be made under this section unless a draft of the regulations has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, the Assembly.

General

I1212 Commencement

1 Sections 2 to 7 and 10 come into operation on such day or days as the Department of Finance may by order appoint.
2 The other provisions of this Act come into operation on the day after the day on which this Act receives Royal Assent.

I1313 Short title

This Act may be cited as the Deaths, Still-Births and Baby Loss Act (Northern Ireland) 2026.

Schedule 

Other amendments relating to the registration of births and still-births

Section 8.

I141 The 1976 Order

The 1976 Order is amended as follows.

I152 

1 Article 14ZA is amended as follows.
2 In the heading, after “not civil partners” insert “or married”.
3 In paragraph (3)(a), for “and in that event the mother and that person shall sign the register in the presence of each other” substitute “in the prescribed manner”.
4 In paragraph (4)(b), for “and the signing of the register by her in the presence of the registrar” substitute “in the prescribed manner”.

I163 

1 Article 18(1) is amended as follows.
2 In sub-paragraph (ba)—
a in paragraph (ii), after “of that Act” insert “(a “second female parent”)”;
b after that paragraph insert—
.

I174 The 2012 Regulations

The 2012 Regulations are amended as follows.

I185 

1 Regulation 12 is amended as follows.
2 In paragraph (2), for paragraph (a) and the words “(b) both parents” substitute “the mother and father of a child”.
3 In paragraph (3)—
a for paragraph (a) and the words “(b) both parents” substitute “the mother and second female parent of a child”;
b at the end insert “or separately, and where both parents intend to make such a request separately, the provisions of regulation 13 apply”.

I196 

1 Regulation 13 is amended as follows.
2 In paragraph (1)—
a for “both parents” substitute “both the mother of a child and the father or second female parent of that child”;
b at the end insert “; and in this regulation references to the “other parent” of a child are to the child’s father or second female parent”.
3 In paragraphs (2), (3) and (4), for “father” substitute “other parent”.
4 In paragraphs (3)(c) and (4)(c), after “he” insert “or she”.

Footnotes

  1. I1
    S. 1 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  2. I2
    S. 2 not in operation at Royal Assent, see s. 12(1)
  3. I3
    S. 3 not in operation at Royal Assent, see s. 12(1)
  4. I4
    S. 4 not in operation at Royal Assent, see s. 12(1)
  5. I5
    S. 5 not in operation at Royal Assent, see s. 12(1)
  6. I6
    S. 6 not in operation at Royal Assent, see s. 12(1)
  7. I7
    S. 7 not in operation at Royal Assent, see s. 12(1)
  8. I8
    S. 8 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  9. I9
    S. 9 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  10. I10
    S. 10 not in operation at Royal Assent, see s. 12(1)
  11. I11
    S. 11 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  12. I12
    S. 12 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  13. I13
    S. 13 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  14. I14
    Sch. para. 1 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  15. I15
    Sch. para. 2 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  16. I16
    Sch. para. 3 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  17. I17
    Sch. para. 4 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  18. I18
    Sch. para. 5 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  19. I19
    Sch. para. 6 in operation at 26.2.2026, see s. 12(2)
  20. I20
    S. 2 in operation at 23.3.2026 by S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(a)
  21. I21
    S. 3 in operation at 23.3.2026 by S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(b)
  22. I22
    S. 4 in operation at 23.3.2026 by S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(c)
  23. I23
    S. 5 in operation at 23.3.2026 by S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(d)
  24. I24
    S. 6 in operation at 23.3.2026 by S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(e)
  25. I25
    S. 7 in operation at 23.3.2026 by S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(f)
  26. I26
    S. 10 in operation at 23.3.2026 by S.R. 2026/32, art. 2(g)