Uganda Act or statute

Parliament of Uganda

Births and Deaths Registration Act

This section provides definitions for terms used in the Act: "child by marriage", "register", "Registrar General", and "registrar". The Attorney General must divide Uganda into births and deaths r…

Jurisdiction: Uganda
Structure: 29 provisions
Citation: Chapter 309
Dates: As at 31 Dec 2000

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Dates: As at 31 Dec 2000

Source attribution: Source: Uganda Legal Information Institute

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“This section provides definitions for terms used in the Act: "child by marriage", "register", "Registrar General", and "registrar".”

This section provides definitions for terms used in the Act: "child by marriage", "register", "Registrar General", and "registrar". The Attorney General must divide Uganda into births and deaths registration districts and may alter, amalgamate or subdivide those districts by statutory instrument. The Attorney General must, by notice in the Gazette, appoint a registrar general of births and deaths for Uganda. The Attorney General must appoint a registrar for each births and deaths registration district by notice in the Gazette; the Attorney General may appoint a deputy registrar by notice in the Gazette. Every registrar must have an office in their births and deaths registration district at the place the Attorney General may direct.

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Interpretation - Interpretation

This section provides definitions for terms used in the Act: "child by marriage", "register", "Registrar General", and "registrar".

Section 1

Registration of births - Births register book

Every registrar must keep a births register book in the prescribed form in their office.

Section 6

Registration of deaths - Deaths register book

Every registrar must keep a deaths register book in the prescribed form in their office.

Section 15

General - Certified copies

The Registrar General and a district registrar must, on payment of the prescribed fee, provide certified copies of register entries or certified extracts of those entries.

Section 22

General - Gombolola headquarters records

Registers and records of births and deaths that were kept by local administrations at gombolola headquarters (or equivalents) prior to commencement of the Act are deemed to be registers kept under the Act and shall be kept in the custody of the registrars of…

Section 29

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Showing 29 of 29 provisions

Provision 24Amendment 2InterpretationOffence

Part I

Interpretation

§ 1Interpretation - InterpretationInterpretation

This section provides definitions for terms used in the Act: "child by marriage", "register", "Registrar General", and "registrar".

Section Interpretation Section In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires— " child by marriage " means a child of a lawful marriage; " register " means a births register book or a deaths register book kept under this Act; " Registrar General " means a person appointed by the Attorney General under section 3 to be the registrar general of births and deaths for Uganda; " registrar " means a person appointed by the Attorney General under section 4 to be a registrar of a births and deaths registration district and includes a deputy registrar.

Section 1Verify source

Part II

Births and deaths registration districts

§ 2Births and deaths registration districts - Births and deaths registration districtsProvision

The Attorney General must divide Uganda into births and deaths registration districts and may alter, amalgamate or subdivide those districts by statutory instrument.

Section Births and deaths registration districts Section The Attorney General shall by statutory instrument divide Uganda into births and deaths registration districts for the purpose of registering births and deaths under this Act. The Attorney General may by statutory instrument alter, amalgamate or subdivide such districts as he or she may think fit.

Section 2Verify source

§ 3Births and deaths registration districts - Appointment of Registrar GeneralProvision

The Attorney General must, by notice in the Gazette, appoint a registrar general of births and deaths for Uganda.

Section Appointment of Registrar General Section The Attorney General shall by notice in the Gazette appoint a registrar general of births and deaths for Uganda.

Section 3Verify source

§ 4Births and deaths registration districts - Appointment of registrarsProvision

The Attorney General must appoint a registrar for each births and deaths registration district by notice in the Gazette; the Attorney General may appoint a deputy registrar by notice in the Gazette.

Section Appointment of registrars Section The Attorney General shall by notice in the Gazette appoint a registrar for each births and deaths registration district. The Attorney General may by notice in the Gazette appoint a deputy registrar for any births and deaths registration district.

Section 4Verify source

§ 5Births and deaths registration districts - Registrar’s officeProvision

Every registrar must have an office in their births and deaths registration district at the place the Attorney General may direct.

Section Registrar’s office Section Every registrar shall have an office in his or her births and deaths registration district at such place as the Attorney General may from time to time direct.

Section 5Verify source

Part III

Registration of births

§ 10Registration of births - Exposed childProvision

Anyone who finds a live newborn child exposed, or who is given charge of such a child, must immediately report it to the nearest police station, hospital or chief; the officer in charge or chief must then register particulars of the birth with the local registrar.

Section Exposed child Section Any person who finds a live newborn child lying exposed or any person who is given the charge of such a child shall report the same immediately to the nearest police station, hospital or chief, and the officer in charge of the police station or hospital or the chief, as the case may be, shall register such particulars concerning the birth of the child as he or she is able to give with the registrar of the births and deaths registration district in which the child was found.

Section 10Verify source

§ 11Registration of births - Extended period for registrationProvision

The registrar of a births and deaths registration district must register a child's birth if applied for after three months but not later than six months from the date of birth or finding; after six months details must not be registered unless the registrar is satisfied, directed by the Registrar General, and the prescribed fee paid.

Section Extended period for registration Section After the expiration of three months from, but not later than six months after, the date of birth or finding of a child, the registrar of a births and deaths registration district shall register the birth of a child in accordance with this Part. After the expiration of six months from the date of birth or finding of a child, particulars concerning the birth of the child shall not be registered unless the registrar is satisfied as to the truth of the particulars and is directed to register them by the Registrar General and the prescribed fee has been paid. The registration of the particulars of the birth of a child under subsection (1) or (2) shall not affect the liability, if any, for prosecution of any person under section 25 .

Section 11Verify source

§ 6Registration of births - Births register bookProvision

Every registrar must keep a births register book in the prescribed form in their office.

Section Births register book Section Every registrar shall cause to be kept in his or her office a births register book in the prescribed form (in this Part called "the register ").

Section 6Verify source

§ 7Registration of births - Registration of birthsProvision

The father or mother must register prescribed particulars of a live birth with the local registrar within three months; if both parents are dead or unable, the occupier where the child was born, any person present at the birth, or any person having charge of the child must register; registration by one person relieves the others of the duty.

Section Registration of births Section Within three months of the date of birth of a live child, the father or mother of the child shall register such particulars concerning the birth as may be prescribed with the registrar of the births and deaths registration district in which the child was born. If the father and mother of the child are dead or unable to register particulars concerning the birth, the occupier of the house in which the child was, to the knowledge of the occupier, born, or any person present at the birth, or any person having charge of the child, shall register particulars concerning the birth; but the registration of the particulars by one of those persons shall relieve the others of their duty to do so.

Section 7Verify source

§ 8Registration of births - Mode of registrationProvision

Persons registering a child's birth must certify the correctness of the birth particulars by signing the register; the registrar must sign and date the register after the particulars are entered.

Section Mode of registration Section Every person registering the birth of a child shall, at the time of registration, certify as to the correctness of the particulars concerning the birth by signing the register , and the registrar shall sign and date the register after the entry of the particulars.

Section 8Verify source

§ 9Registration of births - Registration of a child, not a child by marriageProvision

The father of a child not born in marriage is not required to register the birth, and no one may be entered as the father unless the father consents by signing the register or signing a prescribed consent and sending it to the registrar.

Section Registration of a child, not a child by marriage Section Notwithstanding section 7 , the father of a child, who is not a child by marriage, shall not be required to register particulars concerning the birth of the child, and no person shall be entered in the register as father of the child unless the father consents— by signing the register as father of the child; or by signing a consent in the prescribed form and forwarding it to the registrar of the births and deaths registration district in which the child was born.

Section 9Verify source

Part IV

Change of name or sex

§ 12Change of name or sex - Change of name of adultAmendment

An adult (over 21, or widower/widow/divorced/married person) who wishes to change their name must publish a notice in the Gazette; not less than seven days after publication they may apply to the registrar; the registrar must amend the register upon satisfaction and payment of the prescribed fee and sign and date the amendment.

Section Change of name of adult Section Any person, being over the age of twenty-one years or a widower, widow, divorced person or a married person, who wishes to change his or her name shall cause to be published in the Gazette a notice in the prescribed form of his or her intention to do so. Not less than seven days after the publication of the notice, the person intending to change his or her name may apply in the prescribed form to the registrar of the births and deaths registration district in which his or her birth is registered. The registrar shall, upon being satisfied that the requirements of this section have been carried out and upon payment of the prescribed fee, amend the register accordingly and shall sign and date the amendment.

Section 12Verify source

§ 13Change of name or sex - Change of name of childAmendment

Parents or a child's guardian may apply, in the prescribed form, to the registrar where the child's birth is registered to change the child's name; the registrar must, upon payment of the prescribed fee, amend the register and sign and date the amendment.

Section Change of name of child Section The parents or guardian of any child under the age of twenty-one years who is not married, divorced, a widower or a widow may apply in the prescribed form to the registrar of the births and deaths registration district in which the birth of the child is registered to change the name of the child. The registrar shall, upon payment of the prescribed fee, amend the register accordingly and shall sign and date the amendment.

Section 13Verify source

§ 14Change of name or sex - Change of sex of childProvision

When a registered child changes sex and a medical doctor certifies the change, the local births and deaths registrar must, with the Registrar General's approval and on application by the parent or guardian, alter the child's particulars in the births register.

Section Change of sex of child Section If a child, after being registered, either through an operation or otherwise, changes from a female to a male or from a male to a female and the change is certified by a medical doctor, the registrar of the births and deaths registration district in which the birth is registered shall, with the approval of the Registrar General and on the application of the parent or guardian of that child, alter the particulars of the child which appear on the births register .

Section 14Verify source

Part V

Registration of deaths

§ 15Registration of deaths - Deaths register bookProvision

Every registrar must keep a deaths register book in the prescribed form in their office.

Section Deaths register book Section Every registrar shall cause to be kept in his or her office a deaths register book in the prescribed form (in this Part called "the register ").

Section 15Verify source

§ 16Registration of deaths - Registration of deathsProvision

Specified persons must register particulars of a death with the local registrar within one month of the death or finding of the body.

Section Registration of deaths Section Within one month of the death or the finding of the body of a person, any of the following persons shall register the particulars concerning the death as may be prescribed with the registrar of the births and deaths registration district in which the death took place— any relative of the deceased present at the death or during his or her last illness; any other relative of the deceased residing within or being in the births and deaths registration district where the death occurred; any person present at the death; the occupier or any inmate of the house in which the death occurred if he or she had knowledge of the death; any person finding or taking charge of the body; any person causing the burial of the body. The registration of particulars of the death by one of the persons specified in subsection (1) shall relieve the others of their duty to do so.

Section 16Verify source

§ 17Registration of deaths - Mode of registrationProvision

People registering a death must certify the particulars by signing the register at the time of registration; the registrar must sign and date the register after the particulars are entered.

Section Mode of registration Section Every person registering the death of any person shall, at the time of registration, certify as to the correctness of the particulars concerning the death by signing the register , and the registrar shall sign and date the register after the entry of the particulars.

Section 17Verify source

§ 18Registration of deaths - Extended period for registrationProvision

The district registrar must register a death between one month and three months after the death (or finding of the body); after three months particulars must not be registered unless specific conditions are met.

Section Extended period for registration Section After the expiration of one month from, but not later than three months after, the date of the death or the finding of the body, the registrar of the births and deaths registration district shall register the death in accordance with this Part. After the expiration of three months from the date of the death or the finding of the body, particulars concerning the death shall not be registered unless the registrar is satisfied as to the truth of the particulars and is directed to register them by the Registrar General and the prescribed fee is paid. The registration of the particulars of death under subsection (1) or (2) shall not affect the liability, if any, for prosecution of any person under section 25 .

Section 18Verify source

Part VI

General

§ 19General - Registrar General’s dutiesProvision

The Registrar General must supply registrars with prescribed registers, records, indexes and other forms, and must keep monthly returns and prepare alphabetical indexes of registered births and deaths.

Section Registrar General’s duties Section The Registrar General shall supply every registrar with all registers, records, indexes and other forms as may be prescribed under this Act. The Registrar General shall have the custody of all the monthly returns made by the registrars and shall cause to be prepared from the monthly returns alphabetical indexes of the births and deaths registered.

Section 19Verify source

§ 20General - Monthly returnsProvision

Every registrar must, within ten days after the last day of each month, forward to the Registrar General a copy of all entries made during the preceding month in the births and deaths register books.

Section Monthly returns Section Within ten days of the last day of each month, every registrar shall forward to the Registrar General a copy of all entries made by him or her during the preceding month in the births register book and the deaths register book.

Section 20Verify source

§ 21General - SearchesProvision

Registers, monthly returns and indexes held by the Registrar General and the registrars of births and deaths registration districts must be open for public inspection during prescribed hours and upon payment of the prescribed fee.

Section Searches Section All registers, monthly returns and indexes in the custody of the Registrar General and the registrars of births and deaths registration districts shall be open for inspection by members of the public during the prescribed hours and upon payment of the prescribed fee.

Section 21Verify source

§ 22General - Certified copiesProvision

The Registrar General and a district registrar must, on payment of the prescribed fee, provide certified copies of register entries or certified extracts of those entries.

Section Certified copies Section The Registrar General and a registrar of a births and deaths registration district shall, upon payment of the prescribed fee, furnish a certified copy of any entry in a register or return in his or her custody or a certified copy of any extract from that entry. The copy of any entry in any register or return, or the copy of any extract from the entry, which is certified under the hand of the Registrar General to be a correct copy, shall be prima facie evidence in all court proceedings of the facts contained in the copy.

Section 22Verify source

§ 23General - Correction of errorsProvision

The Registrar General or any registrar, when authorised by the Registrar General, may correct any error in any register, return, index or certificate.

Section Correction of errors Section The Registrar General or any registrar , when authorised by the Registrar General , may correct any error in any register , return, index or certificate. Any correction made under subsection (1) shall be done without erasure and shall be authenticated by the Registrar General .

Section 23Verify source

§ 24General - Power to waive or reduce feesProvision

The Attorney General may, on the Registrar General's recommendation, direct that fees under this Act be waived, reduced, or refunded (in whole or in part).

Section Power to waive or reduce fees Section The Attorney General may, upon the recommendation of the Registrar General , direct that any fee payable under this Act be waived or reduced or, if already paid, be refunded in whole or in part.

Section 24Verify source

§ 25General - Offences and penaltiesOffence

Persons under a duty to register births or deaths must register within the prescribed period and not refuse prescribed particulars; failure is an offence punishable by up to fifty shillings fine or one week imprisonment. Willfully providing false registration information is an offence punishable by up to five hundred shillings fine or three weeks imprisonment.

Section Offences and penalties Section Any person who, being under a duty to register the birth or death of any person, fails to do so within the prescribed period or refuses to state any of the prescribed particulars commits an offence and is liable to a fine not exceeding fifty shillings or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding one week. Any person who willfully gives any false information or particulars for the purpose of registration is liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred shillings or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three weeks.

Section 25Verify source

§ 26General - RegulationsProvision

The Attorney General may make regulations for various procedural matters under this Act, including forms, fees, registration procedures, record-keeping, inspections, certified copies, hours and places of registration.

Section Regulations Section The Attorney General may make regulations providing for all or any of the following— the forms to be used and the particulars to be given under this Act; the fees to be paid under this Act; the mode in which particulars shall be given to the registrar of a births and deaths registration district; the manner in which any document shall be signed; the keeping of all registers, records and indexes and the making of returns under this Act; the inspection of registers, records and indexes to be kept under this Act; the provision of certified copies of records or extracts of records to be kept under this Act; the hours during which births and deaths may be registered and inspection of registers, records and indexes may be made; the places at which births and deaths occurring on ships within the territorial waters of Uganda shall be registered; generally for the purposes of this Act.

Section 26Verify source

§ 27General - TransitionalProvision

The registrar of any births and deaths registration district may register a birth or death that occurred before this Act if satisfied of the particulars and if registration was not previously compulsory under the former Act.

Section Transitional Section The registrar of any births and deaths registration district may, upon being satisfied as to the particulars of birth or death, register the birth of any child or death of any person which occurred prior to the passing of this Act, where the registration of that birth or death was not compulsory under the former Births and Deaths Registration Act.

Section 27Verify source

§ 28General - No fee for late registrationProvision

A person giving particulars under section 27 is not required to pay any fee for late registration.

Section No fee for late registration Section A person giving particulars of the birth of any child or death of any person under section 27 shall not be required to pay any fee for late registration.

Section 28Verify source

§ 29General - Gombolola headquarters recordsCommencement

Section Gombolola headquarters records Section All registers and records relating to the births and deaths of any persons, which were kept by local administrations at gombolola headquarters or their equivalents prior to the commencement of this Act shall be deemed to be registers and records kept under this Act, and shall be kept in the custody of the registrars of the births and deaths registration districts in which the gombolola headquarters or their equivalents are situate.

Section 29Verify source

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Act are deemed to be registers kept under the Act
Section 29

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