BIRTHS REGISTRATION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 190, 13 August 1913, Page 5

BIRTHS REGISTRATION.

IMPORTANT TO PARENTS

A case of great importance to married persons came /before, the Court .'yesterday," ' when■ William James Simmons, of Blenheim, appeered on an lhiormatioa brought a-jjainst hi m by the Registrar of ! Births. Deaths; and Marriages, that ''the defdnSaiit; being a person required by law to make: kifiowh.' the particulars touching the birtih of his female child born on January 25th, 1913. and becoming responsible under the Births and Deaths Registration Act, 1908, for the registration of the same, without reasonable excuse neglected to give information himself: or by an agent duly authorised in writing." Mr F. 08. Loughnan, S.M., presided, the Registrar (Mr Gore) appeared in person, and Mr N. J. Cox appeared on behalf of the do fen-" d-ant, who pleaded guilty. It is desirable, in the public interests, to quote the sections cf the Act. which are as follows:—Section 15 provides for the notification, by ■t.he occupier of any house in which a child is born, to the Registrar of the fact of such birth, and such notice must be delivered or posted by registered lotted to the Registrar, within 48 hours if in a borough, or 21. days in any other case, under a penalty of £5. Section 16 provides that parents and others charged with such duty shall within 62 days give information to tihe Registrar as prescribed by i'onn printed in the Act, under a penalty of £10; but the fin© may be remitted if registration is made under the next section. Section 17 provides that after the said period of 62 days following the birth, the Registrar -shall not register the same; unless the parent,. or some person who was present-at the birth,-makes-a statutory declaration of the particulars required to be registered. At any time after .62 days and not later than six months after the birth, the Registrar may by notice in writing require'j the parent or other person present at the birth to attend personally at his office within the time specified in the notice for the purpose of making | sucth declaration, ay hereupon the Registrar may register the birth upon payment of a fee of se. Every person so summoned to appear and failing to do. so renders himself liable to a fine of £10. '

• Mr Cox "explained to the; Court, that the facts were admitted. It. appeared' that the Registrar had been Notified"of tJae birth; but the' defett : dant failed to comply witji the provisions of section 16. The"Registrar then sent him a notice asking him to attend personally under section 1?, and the defendant did not put in an appearance until, the Registrar stated, the very last day of, the; six months, and it was not convenient on fhat occasion for him (the Registrar} to attend to the matter. T'lie Registrar was consequently unable to •register the hirth until he obtained a conviction against the defendant, and explained to the Court' that theso proceedings were strictly formal to give' him the necessary authority to mobster; and therefore he did not ask that a fine be imposed under the circumstances. i His Worship accordingly:: convictedthe defendant, and ordered him to pay costs, 7s.