### Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance 《生死登記條例》

15. Duty of registrars to procure registration of deaths
(1) Notwithstanding any omission to report, or furnish information as to any death within the time laid down in section 14, it shall be the duty of every registrar to procure by all means in his power the best and most accurate information respecting any death which may have occurred within his district and cause the same to be registered. (Amended L.N. 374 of 1991)
(2) In every case in which a registrar receives information of the death in Hong Kong of any person who is a national of a state to which section 3 of the Consular Conventions Ordinance (Cap. 267) applies, he shall cause information of the fact to be communicated to the Official Administrator. (Replaced 12 of 1951 s. 3. Amended 67 of 1984 s. 5) 
(3) In every case in which a registrar receives information of the death in Hong Kong of any citizen of the United States of America, he shall cause information of the fact to be communicated to the Official Administrator, in order that the necessary information may be forwarded to the nearest consular officer of the said United States. (Added 12 of 1953 s. 2. Amended 67 of 1984 s. 5)

16. Restriction on removal of dead body
(1) No person, unless acting under the written sanction or direction of a registrar, shall remove, or assist or attempt to remove, or procure the removal of, or bury any dead body until a certificate of registration of death under section 17 has been issued, or an order to bury or cremate has been obtained from a coroner: (Amended 57 of 1967 Schedule) 
Provided that where interment is urgent and it is not possible promptly to procure such certificate or order, it shall be the duty of any person who may desire to remove or bury a dead body to report the same at the nearest police station, when the inspector or other officer in charge may issue forthwith a permit in the prescribed form. The issue of such permit shall be forthwith reported to a registrar by the issuing officer, and shall not exonerate the persons required by this Ordinance to give information respecting the death of any person from giving the information required. (See Form 8)

### Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance 《生死登記條例》

17. Issue of certificate of registration of death or of certificate of order for burial
(1) A registrar, immediately on registering any death or as soon thereafter as he may be required to do so, shall, without any fee, deliver, either to the person giving information concerning the death or to the undertaker or other person having charge of the funeral, a certificate under his hand in the prescribed form, that such death has been duly registered, and such certificate shall be delivered by such undertaker or other person to the officer in charge of the police station for the district where the death was registered: (See Form 10)

18. Burial of deceased child as still-born, etc.
No person shall wilfully bury or procure to be buried the body of any deceased child as if it were still-born. No person shall bury or procure to be buried any still-born child, unless there is delivered to him either—
(a) a written certificate in the prescribed form that such child was not born alive, signed by a registered medical practitioner who was in attendance at the birth or has examined the body of such child; or (See Form 13)

19. Notice where coffin contains more than one body
When there is in the coffin in which any deceased person is brought for burial the body of any other deceased person or the body of a still-born child, the undertaker or other person who has charge of the funeral shall deliver to the officer in charge of the police station for the district where the death occurred or where such body was found a notice in writing, signed by such undertaker or other person, stating to the best of his knowledge and belief, with respect to each body, particulars in the prescribed form. (See Forms 15, 16 & 17)

20. Provisions as to certificates of cause of death
With respect to certificates of the cause of death, the following provisions shall have effect—
(a) the Registrar shall, on the application in writing of a registered medical practitioner, furnish him with a book of printed forms of certificates of death in the prescribed form; (See Form 18)

### Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance 《生死登記條例》

21. Investigation of cause of death and of correctness of death certificate
(1) In the case of the death of any person who has not been attended during his last illness by any registered medical practitioner it shall be the duty of the Registrar to institute, or cause to be instituted, inquiries with a view to ascertaining the true cause of death. 
(2) It shall be lawful for the Registrar in any case in which he wishes to verify the correctness of any certificate of the cause of death of any person to institute, or cause to be instituted, inquiries with a view to verifying the correctness of such certificate. 
(3) Any person who obstructs, resists, uses abusive language to, or refuses to answer without sufficient cause or wilfully makes a false answer to any reasonable inquiry put by any officer authorized by the Registrar for the purpose of carrying out any inquiry pursuant to this section shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine at level 1 and 3 months’ imprisonment. 
(Replaced 1 of 1965 s. 9. Amended L.N. 25 of 1996)

### Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance 《生死登記條例》

22. Searches on entries, certified copies, fees, etc.
(1) Any person shall be entitled to require a registrar of the general register office or of a district registry office to cause a search to be made—
(a) for any given entry over any period not exceeding 5 years, on payment of a fee of $140;
(b) for information other than that concerning any given entry, on payment of a fee of $680,
and the registrar upon such requirement being made shall cause such search to be made in the indexes of the register books, the register or the computer record as the registrar may see fit.
(2) (a) Any person shall be entitled, on payment of a fee of $140 or the fee (together with any additional postage fee) payable under paragraph (b), to require a copy of any entry in the register, certified under the hand of a registrar as a true copy of the entry and sealed or stamped with the seal or stamp of the general register office or the district registry office issuing such certified copy.
(b) If the certified copy is required to be posted to an addressee outside Hong Kong, a fee of $275 shall be paid, and if the certified copy is required to be sent by airmail, an additional fee shall be paid of an amount equal to the airmail postage at the normal rate.
(3) If the particulars of an entry has been recorded in the computer record, the registrar may produce a copy of such entry by using the information recorded in the computer record, and the copy so produced, if certified by the registrar and sealed or stamped with the seal or stamp of the office issuing the certified copy as described in subsection (2)(a), shall be deemed to be a certified copy of such entry in the register.
(4) No person except a registrar and officers specially authorized by the Registrar may search in the indexes of the register books, the register or the computer record.
(Replaced 80 of 1997 s. 60. Amended L.N. 452 of 1997)