Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

What does register mean? In legal practice, a register is an official list or record kept by a court or public authority to capture information with legal effect. In magistrates’ courts in England and Wales, “the register” refers to the formal record of proceedings, orders, convictions and fines kept by the designated officer; entries evidence the court’s decisions, are used to calculate appeal or variation time limits, and support enforcement. Across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, usage is broadly consistent, but each register’s scope, keeper, procedure and access are set by specific legislation or court rules. Common examples include land and property...

Death Registration and Certification in England and Wales (2024 Reforms): Informant Duties, Registrar Process, Coroner/Post‑Mortem/Inquests, Time Limits, Place of Registration, and Deaths Abroad

Published by a LexisNexis Private Client expert

Practice notes

The death certification regime in England and Wales came into force on 9 September 2024 after reforms arising from various enquiries, including the third report of the Shipman Inquiry (relating to murders first examined in the late 1990s). The package includes a statutory medical examiner system introduced as an extra safeguard. Although Private Client prACTitioners rarely handle the formalities of medical certification itself, these reforms also influence the procedure for the legal registration of deaths throughout England and Wales.

Requirement to register a death

Registering a death is ordinarily undertaken by a Member of the deceased’s immediate family. The Requirements in England and Wales are set by:

Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953 (BDRA 1953)
Registration Service Act 1953 (RSA 1953)
Coroners and Justice Act 2009
Health and Care Act 2022
regulations made under each of those Acts

Medical certificate of cause of death

The registrar cannot register the death without a medical certificate. With effect from 9 September 2024, a medical practitioner must first complete a medical certificate of cause of death (MCCD). These changes impact certification procedures and the legal registration of deaths. They also strengthen safeguards within the system overall. Thereafter, independent scrutiny must take place by...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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