Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021

Registrar-General and registry - Functions, duties, and powers - Correction of errors

133: Family Court may consider proposed corrections in cases of difficulty or dispute

You could also call this:

"Family Court helps fix record mistakes when there's a problem or disagreement"

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

You can ask the Family Court to help with corrections to birth, death, or marriage records if there is a problem or disagreement. The Registrar-General can apply to the Family Court if they are unsure about something related to section 131 or 132. You can also apply to the Family Court if you want the Registrar-General to make a correction under section 131 or 132. The Family Court will listen to people who have an interest in the matter and can consider any evidence they think is relevant. They will then decide whether the correction should be made under section 131 or section 132. This helps to resolve any difficulties or disputes about corrections to important records.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM7273783.

This page was last updated on 6 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Family and relationships > Marriage and partnershipsFamily and relationships > Children and parentingGovernment and voting > Government departments

132: Birth record of child conceived through assisted human reproduction procedure must specify parents as determined under Status of Children Act 1969, or

"Birth records must show the correct parents for kids born using assisted reproduction"

134: Health information may be used to correct records, or

"Fixing mistakes in birth and death records using health information"

Part 5Registrar-General and registry
Functions, duties, and powers: Correction of errors

133Family Court may consider proposed corrections in cases of difficulty or dispute

If the Registrar-General is uncertain as to any matter in respect of which the Registrar-General is required to be satisfied for the purposes of section 131 or 132, the Registrar-General may apply to the Family Court to have the matter determined.
Any person who wishes the Registrar-General to act under section 131 or 132 in respect of any matter may apply to the Family Court to have the matter determined.
The Family Court, when considering an application under subsection (2),—
must give every person the court thinks has an interest in the matter an opportunity to be heard; and
may receive any evidence the court thinks fit; and
must determine whether the Registrar-General should act under section 131 or 132.

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s 85