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Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021

Registration of information - Deaths - Registration of deaths

48: Registrar-General must register deaths of certain service personnel

You could also call this:

"Registrar-General must record deaths of New Zealand service personnel who died overseas"

Illustration for Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021

The Registrar-General must register the death of certain service personnel who died outside New Zealand. You need to know that this includes people who were serving in a naval, military, or air force raised in New Zealand or other Commonwealth countries. It also includes employees working for United Nations activities, as defined in sections 91 to 95 of the Policing Act 2008. The Registrar-General must register information about the person who died, such as their name, sex, and date of birth. You will find that this information also includes the person's rank, last occupation, and the cause of their death. The Registrar-General can accept different types of evidence to prove the person's death. The Registrar-General can use various documents to register the death, including certificates from officers of the force the person served in. You can see that the Registrar-General may also accept certificates from other approved people, such as those from the United Nations or signed by the Minister of Defence or Minister of Police. This helps the Registrar-General to get the information they need to register the death.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM7273685.

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47: Registrar-General may register death that occurs outside New Zealand only in limited circumstances, or

"Registrar-General can register overseas deaths in certain situations"

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49: Overseas death certificate may be provided to Registrar-General, or

"Reporting a death outside New Zealand to the Registrar-General"

Part 2Registration of information
Deaths: Registration of deaths

48Registrar-General must register deaths of certain service personnel

  1. The Registrar-General must register the information described in subsection (2) in respect of each person who, in the Registrar-General’s opinion, died outside New Zealand while—

  2. a member of, and on service with, a naval, military, or air force raised in—
    1. New Zealand; or
      1. any other State that was a Commonwealth country when the force was raised; or
        1. any State for whose international relations New Zealand or another State that was a Commonwealth country was responsible when the force was raised; or
        2. an employee for the purposes of a United Nations activity within the meaning of sections 91 to 95 of the Policing Act 2008.

          1. The information that must be registered is (so far as it is known to the Registrar-General)—

          2. the person’s name and sex:
            1. the force or unit the person served in at the time of death, the person’s rank or level of position at the time of death, and the person’s official number:
              1. the person’s last occupation and usual place of abode before departing from New Zealand:
                1. the person’s birthplace and parentage:
                  1. the person’s date of birth, or age at the date of death:
                    1. the person’s relationship status at the date of death:
                      1. the date and place of the person’s death:
                        1. the cause of the person’s death:
                          1. the place where the person’s body was disposed of:
                            1. the source of information from which the particulars were obtained.

                              1. For the purpose of registering information under this section, the Registrar-General may accept any evidence the Registrar-General thinks sufficient, including, in proof of the death of any person,—

                              2. the fact that the High Court has granted probate or administration of the person’s estate; or
                                1. the fact that the High Court has granted leave to swear to the death; or
                                  1. a certificate signed by an officer of the force in which the person served; or
                                    1. a certificate signed by an officer of a force (being a force of another country or of the United Nations) acting in co-operation with the force in which the person served; or
                                      1. a certificate signed by any person approved for the purpose by the Minister of Defence or, as the case requires, the Minister of Police.

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