Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021

Searches and disclosure of information - Public access to information

87: Definitions used in this subpart

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"What special words mean in this part of the law"

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

When you read this part of the law, some words have special meanings. An access register is a record that must be kept under section 98. The Chief Archivist is the person in charge of public records under the Public Records Act 2005. Historical information is about events that happened a long time ago, like births, marriages, or deaths. It includes information about people who were born or died 50 to 100 years ago. It also includes information about marriages or name changes that happened 75 years ago or more. A personal representative is someone who acts on behalf of another person. This can be a guardian for a young person, someone with power of attorney for an adult, or the executor of a deceased person's estate. A pre-1998 register is an old record that was created before 1998. It contains information that is accessible to the Registrar-General and is under their control. A source document is an original record that information is taken from. It is accessible to the Registrar-General and under their control, like a pre-1998 register.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM7326356.

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86: Contents of name-change certificate, or

"What's on a name-change certificate?"

88: Person must confirm identity to access information under this subpart, or

"You must prove who you are to access some information."

Part 4Searches and disclosure of information
Public access to information

87Definitions used in this subpart

In this subpart,—
access register means the access register required to be kept under section 98
Chief Archivist means the person holding that office under the Public Records Act 2005
historical information means information relating to—
1. the birth (excluding a stillbirth) of—
  1. a deceased person who died 50 years ago or more or who was born 80 years ago or more; or
  2. a living person who was born 100 years ago or more:
2. a stillbirth that occurred 50 years ago or more:
3. a marriage or civil union that occurred 75 years ago or more:
4. an intended marriage for which a notice of intention to marry was recorded 75 years ago or more:
5. a name change for a person whose birth is registered outside New Zealand and who was born 100 years ago or more:
6. the death of a person who—
  1. died 50 years ago or more; or
  2. was born 80 years ago or more
personal representative, in relation to a person, means,—
1. if the person is less than 18 years old and has not married or entered into a civil union or de facto relationship, a guardian of the person:
2. if the person is 18 years old or older or has married or entered into a civil union or de facto relationship, a person acting on behalf of the person under a power of attorney or other written authority:
3. if the person has died, the executor, administrator, or trustee of the deceased person’s estate
pre-1998 register—
1. means a register maintained in documentary form and created before 1 January 1998 that—
  1. contains information recorded in the registry; and
  2. is accessible by the Registrar-General; and
  3. is under the control of—
    1. the Registrar-General; or
    2. a person (other than the Registrar-General) who has the function of managing, on behalf of the Registrar-General, information in the registry; or
    3. the Chief Archivist; and
2. includes—
  1. a register of notices of intention to marry; and
  2. an index to a register
source document—
1. means a document—
  1. from which information recorded in the registry is sourced; and
  2. that is accessible by the Registrar-General; and
  3. that is under the control of—
    1. the Registrar-General; or
    2. a person (other than the Registrar-General) who has the function of managing, on behalf of the Registrar-General, information in the registry; or
    3. the Chief Archivist; and
2. includes a pre-1998 register.

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