Registration of Births

A child's father or mother has a duty to register the birth. In the case of the death or inability of the father or mother the following persons can register the birth:

• Any relative of the mother or father, if he is married to the mother, being a relative who has knowledge of the birth;
• The occupier of the premises in which the child was, to the knowledge of that occupier, born;
• Any person present at the birth;
• Any person having charge of the child.

A father who is not married to the mother can only register the birth and be named in the register as the father if:

• He jointly signs the register with the mother;
• He and the mother sign declarations (these are available from the registrar) that he is the father; or
• A court declares that he is the father and the mother registers the birth.