legal registration

Procedures

1. From 9th September 2024, all deaths in England and Wales will be independently scrutinised by a Medical Examiner, or in some cases a Coroner.  A Medical Examiner is a senior medical doctor who will oversee the process of death certification.

Following a death, the attending practitioner who has treated the deceased will contact the Medical Examiner with a proposed cause of death.  The Medical Examiner may then discuss the cause of death with those involved in caring for the deceased and the next of kin.  Once the Medical Examiner is satisfied, they will  issue the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD) and will send this to the Registrar.  The Medical Examiner will notify the next of kin to advise when this has been completed.

Once the MCCD has been issued, the death should be registered within 5 days in the district in which the deceased died.

Please note that all Registrars require an appointment to be made to register a death.

2. The Registrar will need the following information about the deceased:

• Full name
• Date and place of birth
• Date and place of death
• Marital status
• Home address
• Last occupation (even if retired)
• If married at date of death – date of birth of surviving partner
• If female and either married or widowed, maiden name and husband’s full name and occupation

3. The Registrar will issue a GREEN CERTIFICATE. This is used to verify the identity of the deceased, and will need to be supplied to us before the funeral can take place.

4. If the death is referred to the Coroner, it would be advisable to contact us so that provisional arrangements can be made prior to the Coroner giving permission for the registration and the funeral to take place.