XN000022-1985-08-04 — Page 5

SUNDAY, AUGUST 4, 1985

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+TEMPORARY DOCUMENTS+ AVAILABLE ******

A TEMPORARY DOCUMENT COULD BE ISSUED ON REQUEST FOR URGENT USE IN THE EVENT OF UNNATURAL DEATH, WHICH WOULD ORDINARILY REQUIRE MORE TIME FOR REGISTRATION AND THE ISSUE OF A DEATH CERTIFICATE, A CHIEF IMMIGRATION OFFICER EXPLAINED TODAY.

SUCH A TEMPORARY DOCUMENT MIGHT SOMETIMES BE REQUIRED SPEEDILY FOR LEGAL OR OTHER ARRANGEMENTS, MRS JEAN AU-YEUNG, CHIEF IMMIGRATION OFFICER OF BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES HEAD OFFICE SAID.

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MRS AU-YEUNG SAID THAT LONGER TIME IS TAKEN FOR REGISTRATION OF DEATHS - AND SUBSEQUENT ISSUE OF DEATH CERTIFICATES IN SUCH SITUATIONS AS, FOR INSTANCE, AN UNNATURAL DEATH REQUIRING A CORONER'S HEARING.

THE LENGTH OF THE +PENDING PERIOD+ WOULD DEPEND ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF EACH CASE. WHEN SATISFIED AS TO THE CAUSE OF DEATH, THE CORONER WOULD NOTIFY THE REGISTRAR OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS OF THE PARTICULARS OF THE DECEASED TO ENABLE AN ENTRY TO BE MADE IN THE DEATH REGISTER.

THE REGISTRAR CAN THEN ISSUE A DEATH CERTIFICATE FOR THE PERSON CONCERNED ON APPLICATION BY A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC ON PAYMENT OF $10 FOR SEARCH OF RECORD AND $10 FOR A CERTIFICATE.

IN A CASE WHERE AN URGENT DOCUMENT MAY BE REQUIRED FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE, A TEMPORARY CERTIFYING LETTER MIGHT BE ISSUED FREE OF CHARGE ON REQUEST, SETTING OUT THE OCCURRENCE OF DEATH AND THE PARTICULARS OF THE DECEASED. HOWEVER, IN SUCH A CASE, THE CAUSE OF DEATH WOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE TEMPORARY DOCUMENT, SHE POINTED OUT.

SHE STRESSED THAT A DEATH CERTIFICATE WOULD BE ISSUED ONLY ON COMPLETION OF REGISTRATION, WHICH WOULD BE POSSIBLE ONLY WHEN THE CAUSE OF DEATH IS KNOWN, AND THAT THIS APPLIED THEREFORE, TO BOTH NATURAL AND UNNATURAL CAUSES OF DEATH.

+GENERALLY, ANY BURIAL WITHOUT REGISTRATION OF DEATH IS ILLEGAL. THIS APPLIES ALSO TO ALL NEWBORN BABIES WHO HAVE SHOWN SIGNS OF LIFE AT BIRTH, NO MATTER HOW BRIEFLY THEY LIVED,+ SHE SAID.

SHE ADDED, HOWEVER, THAT CASES OF ILLEGAL BURIAL WHICH HAD COME TO THE REGISTRAR'S NOTICE WERE VERY RARE.

SHE EXPLAINED THAT A CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION OF DEATH FORM 12 WOULD BE ISSUED ON COMPLETION OF REGISTRATION FOR THE REMOVAL OF A BODY A FORM 10 WOULD BE ISSUED FOR BURIAL.

IN THE CASES OF UNNATURAL DEATH, THE CORONER WOULD ISSUE A CERTIFICATE OF ORDER AUTHORISING BURIAL OR CREMATION OF THE BODY, WITHOUT THE NEED FOR REGISTRATION.

/MRS AU-YEUNG