Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1996

(1) When a child is born in the Territory, the responsible person must give notice of the birth to the Registrar including the particulars required by the Regulations.

(2) Notice under subsection (1) must be given within 10 days after the birth.

(3) When notice of a still-birth is given, the responsible person must also give the Registrar a doctor's certificate, in a form approved by the Registrar, certifying the cause of foetal death.

(4) The certificate must be completed by the doctor responsible for the professional care of the mother at the birth or a doctor who examined the body of the still-born child after the birth.

(5) Where a child is born in a custodial correctional facility a notice under subsection (1) must not refer to the place of birth as the custodial correctional facility, other than by referring to the name of the city or town in which the custodial correctional facility is located or the city or town nearest to the custodial correctional facility.

(5A) A responsible person commits an offence if the responsible person fails to comply with subsection (1) or (3).

Maximum penalty: 8 penalty units

(5B) An offence against subsection (5A) is an offence of strict liability.

(5C) It is a defence to a prosecution for an offence against subsection (5A) constituted by a failure to comply with subsection (3) if the defendant has a reasonable excuse.

custodial correctional facility, see section 11(1)(a) of the Correctional Services Act 2014.

responsible person means:

(a) for a child born in a hospital or brought to a hospital within 24 hours after birth – the chief executive officer of the hospital; or

(b) for a child born in a mental institution – the chief executive officer of the mental institution; or

(ba) for a child born in a custodial correctional facility – the Commissioner of Correctional Services; or

(c) for any other child – the doctor, midwife or health worker responsible for the professional care of the mother at the birth.