Glossary entry (derived from question below)
English term or phrase:
informant
English answer:
person registering the death
Added to glossary by
B D Finch
Oct 14, 2013 09:26
10 yrs ago
97 viewers *
English term
informant
English
Other
Certificates, Diplomas, Licenses, CVs
Term on a UK death certificate
In a UK death certificate, there is a section titled " 7 (a) name and surname of informant." It is accompanied by "(b) Qualification." Does informant here signify the person requesting the death certificate? There are plenty of examples in google images.
Responses
| 4 +5 | person registering the death |
B D Finch
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| 4 +1 | yes — in a way |
Tony M
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Responses
+5
52 mins
Selected
person registering the death
In the UK a member of the family usually registers a death.
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/ relationships_w/relationships_death_and_wills_e/what_to_do_after_a_death.htm
"... If your relative dies in hospital, staff will contact you, lay out the body and arrange for it to be taken to the hospital mortuary. You will then be asked to arrange for the body to be collected by funeral directors, who will normally take it to their chapel of rest. At the same time, you will be asked to collect the person's personal possessions.
Before a death can be formally registered, a doctor will need to issue a medical certificate giving the cause of death. In hospital, this is usually done by a hospital doctor, who will hand the certificate to you in a sealed envelope addressed to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. You will also be given a notice, explaining how to register the death. There is no charge for either of these. If the person has not been seen by a hospital doctor, their GP may be able to issue a certificate instead."
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Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-14 10:28:21 GMT)
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Note that, in England and Wales, the Death Certificate is actually a medical certificate confirming the death and the cause of death and is issued by a doctor. The relative or other person then has to take that to the Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages within five days. The certificate that one obtains from the Registry is a "Certificate of Registration of Death", though it is commonly referred to as a "Death Certificate". There is, therefore, sometimes a bit of confusion about which of these certificates is being referred to.
I believe that anybody can subsequently ask for a copy "Certificate of Registration of Death" from the Registry, not just the person who registered the death.
http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/wales/ relationships_w/relationships_death_and_wills_e/what_to_do_after_a_death.htm
"... If your relative dies in hospital, staff will contact you, lay out the body and arrange for it to be taken to the hospital mortuary. You will then be asked to arrange for the body to be collected by funeral directors, who will normally take it to their chapel of rest. At the same time, you will be asked to collect the person's personal possessions.
Before a death can be formally registered, a doctor will need to issue a medical certificate giving the cause of death. In hospital, this is usually done by a hospital doctor, who will hand the certificate to you in a sealed envelope addressed to the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages. You will also be given a notice, explaining how to register the death. There is no charge for either of these. If the person has not been seen by a hospital doctor, their GP may be able to issue a certificate instead."
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Note added at 1 hr (2013-10-14 10:28:21 GMT)
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Note that, in England and Wales, the Death Certificate is actually a medical certificate confirming the death and the cause of death and is issued by a doctor. The relative or other person then has to take that to the Registrar of Births Deaths and Marriages within five days. The certificate that one obtains from the Registry is a "Certificate of Registration of Death", though it is commonly referred to as a "Death Certificate". There is, therefore, sometimes a bit of confusion about which of these certificates is being referred to.
I believe that anybody can subsequently ask for a copy "Certificate of Registration of Death" from the Registry, not just the person who registered the death.
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Tony M
1 min
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Thanks Tony
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| agree |
Charles Davis
6 mins
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Thanks Charles
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| agree |
Martin Riordan
1 hr
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Thanks Martin
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| agree |
Yvonne Gallagher
4 hrs
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Thanks gallagy
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| agree |
AllegroTrans
6 hrs
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Thanks AT
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thank you for this very informative and expansive explanation"
+1
16 mins
yes — in a way
It means the person who 'informs' or 'notifies' the official bodies of the death — which indirectly does indeed mean they are applying for the death certificate. Once the authorities have been informed, then the certificate will be issued.
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Note added at 53 mins (2013-10-14 10:19:55 GMT)
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Ah, I see the real question now!
It isn't that "a family member could simply inform the registrar of a death" — naturally this has to be backed up by the doctor's certificate stating time, palce and acuse of death, if known! It is just that the faimly member is expected to do the leg work of submitting this to the registrar — saves a lot of paperwork passing slowly between bureaucratic departments! And of course, the family member is going to need this death certificate in order to be able to deal with all the things that need to be done after a death.
It is, of course, a moot point what happens if the family member simply doesn't bother to notify the death; it could take quite some time before the registrar actually got to find out about it by other means.
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Note added at 53 mins (2013-10-14 10:19:55 GMT)
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Ah, I see the real question now!
It isn't that "a family member could simply inform the registrar of a death" — naturally this has to be backed up by the doctor's certificate stating time, palce and acuse of death, if known! It is just that the faimly member is expected to do the leg work of submitting this to the registrar — saves a lot of paperwork passing slowly between bureaucratic departments! And of course, the family member is going to need this death certificate in order to be able to deal with all the things that need to be done after a death.
It is, of course, a moot point what happens if the family member simply doesn't bother to notify the death; it could take quite some time before the registrar actually got to find out about it by other means.
Note from asker:
| Thanks Tony. The reason I raised the question was I had thought that the authorities would be informed of a death by other authorities as it were, such as the police, a doctor, care home etc. It seemed a bit odd that a family member could simply inform the registrar of a death. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
Thayenga
: :)
26 mins
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Thanks, Thayenga! :-)
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| neutral |
B D Finch
: There are various other persons who may register the death (Births and Deaths Registration Act 1953) and registration is necessary for burial or cremation.
50 mins
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Thanks, B! I was only really trying to address Asker's question using their own choice of terms, but I agree that my rather-too-informal reply may not be helpful!
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Discussion
I am sure that these restrictions are not a matter of bureaucratic convenience, designed to save the authorities the trouble of passing on the information. The rationale is presumably that the informant must be someone with direct first-hand knowledge of the death.
"* Any relative of the deceased person present at the death or in attendance during his last illness.
* Any other relative of the deceased residing or being in the sub–district where the death occurred.
* Any person present at the death.
* The occupier of the house if he knew of the happening of the death.
* Any inmate of the house who knew of the happening of the death;
* The person causing the disposal of the body."
- a relative, usually the closest one
- someone who was present at the death
- someone who is instructing the funeral director
Normally no one else can do it, not even an executor, unless he/she is arranging the funeral. Moreover, you have to have the medical certificate of cause of death from the doctor, and if there's an inquest you have to wait until it's over.