Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021 explained

Short Title:	Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act 2021
Legislature:	New Zealand Parliament
Introduced By:	Jan Tinetti^[1]
1St Reading:	5 December 2017
2Nd Reading:	11 August 2021
3Rd Reading:	9 December 2021
Bill:	Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Bill
Royal Assent:	15 December 2021
Date Commenced:	15 June 2023
Repeals:	Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995
Status:	not fully in force

The Births, Deaths, Marriages and Relationships Registration Act 2021 is a New Zealand act of parliament, which replaces the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995. It also implements several recommendations from the Law Commission's review of burial and cremation law, and makes it easier for people to change the sex on their birth certificates without having to go through the Family Court or show evidence of medical treatment to change their sex.^[2]

Legislative features

The Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act repeals and replaces the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995. The act re-enacted the majority of the 1995 Act but also eliminates redundant provisions and makes a number of policy changes.^[3]

Key changes include:

• Allowing each parent who is notifying the birth of a child to specify whether they wish to appear on the child's birth certificate as the child's mother, father, or parent.
• Allowing an eligible person aged 18 and over to change their nominated sex by statutory declaration.
• Allowing an eligible person aged 16 or 17 to change their nominated sex by statutory declaration without the consent of their legal guardian, with a letter of recommendation from a suitable third party. The third party must have sufficient professional or community standing (they don't necessarily have to be a health professional) and have known the minor for a minimum amount of time (e.g. to prevent doctor shopping).^[4]
• Allowing the guardian of a child under 16 to change their child's nominated sex by statutory declaration. The application must be accompanied by letter of recommendation from a suitable third party.
• The nominated sex may be male, female, or another sex described in the regulations.
• The Registrar-General must register nominated sex if statutory requirements met.
• The eligible child must confirm registered sex on turning 18 years old.

Legislative history

The bill passed its first reading on 5 December 2017 and was referred to the Governance and Administration Committee.^[5]

On 12 August 2021, the bill passed its second reading with support from all parties represented in the New Zealand Parliament.^[6]

The bill was unanimously approved by Parliament on its third reading on 9 December 2021.^[7] The bill received royal assent on 15 December 2021. The regulation-making powers came into force the following day. The remainder of the act, apart from three clauses, came into force no later than 15 June 2023. The three remaining clauses will come into force on 15 December 2024.^[8]

Responses

On 10 August 2018, the Human Rights Commission welcomed the Government Administration Committee's efforts to make it easier for transgender and non-binary individuals to update sex details on birth certificates.^[9] The bill was also supported by the Māori Women's Welfare League and the National Council of Women of New Zealand.^[10]

In 2018, the feminist advocacy group Speak Up for Women was formed to oppose the sex self-identification clauses within the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill.^{[11] [12]} The group has been criticised as transphobic by critics and faced difficulty in hosting meetings at municipal venues in Auckland, Palmerston North, Christchurch, Dunedin, Lower Hutt, and Wellington. In late June 2021, the High Court in Auckland ruled that Speak Up for Women was allowed to hold their meeting at an Auckland Council facility on the ground that it was not a hate group.^[13] The group's meetings in Nelson and Dunedin were picketed by transgender rights supporters.^{[14] [15]}

External links

• Web site: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill . . 22 August 2021.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill . . 22 August 2021.
2. News: Smith . Phil . Births, deaths, and genders: a quiet bill goes loud . 22 August 2021 . . 12 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210818094259/https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/the-house/audio/2018807955/births-deaths-and-genders-a-quiet-bill-goes-loud . 18 August 2021. live.
3. Web site: Births, Death, Marriages, and Relationships Bill (2017, 296-2) . . 22 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200831230630/https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/bills-and-laws/bills-digests/document/52PLLaw25671/births-death-marriages-and-relationships-bill-2017 . 31 August 2020 . 31 August 2020 . live.
4. Web site: bdmreview - Frequently asked questions - dia.govt.nz . 2022-08-24 . www.dia.govt.nz.
5. Web site: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Bill — First Reading . . 21 September 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210921121003/https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/hansard-debates/rhr/combined/HansDeb_20171205_20171205_24 . 21 September 2021 . 5 December 2017 . live.
6. News: Bill making it easier to change sex on birth certificate passes second reading . 22 August 2021 . . 12 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210822070215/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/08/bill-making-it-easier-to-change-sex-on-birth-certificate-passes-second-reading.html. 22 August 2021. live.
7. News: 9 December 2021. Parliament unanimously passes sex self-identification law, simplifying changes to birth certificates. Stuff. live. 13 December 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211209111035/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/127239124/parliament-unanimously-passes-sex-selfidentification-law-simplifying-changes-to-birth-certificates. 9 December 2021.
8. Web site: Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 2021 No 57, Public Act – New Zealand Legislation. 2021-12-16. www.legislation.govt.nz.
9. News: Birth certificate changes welcomed by takatāpui, trans and non-binary people . 31 August 2021 . . 10 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210502213805/https://www.hrc.co.nz/news/birth-certificate-changes-welcomed-takatapui-trans-and-non-binary-people/ . 2 May 2021. live.
10. Web site: Explainer: The decades-long battle for gender self-identification. November 6, 2021. Stuff.
11. Web site: About Speak Up For Women . Speak Up For Women . 21 September 2021. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20181220192633/https://speakupforwomen.nz/about-us/ . 20 December 2018 .
12. News: Sadler . Rachel . Prendergast . Ella . Speak Up for Women to hold Auckland event after High Court legal drama . 21 September 2021 . . 27 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210908012107/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2021/06/speak-up-for-women-to-hold-auckland-event-after-high-court-legal-drama.html . 8 September 2021.
13. News: Campbell . Georgina . Speak Up For Women controversy: Billboard removed, mayor apologises . 21 September 2021 . . 13 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210722111355/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/speak-up-for-women-controversy-billboard-removed-mayor-apologises/CGUGDIAATDU3CCE56TUMCMJOQM/ . 22 July 2021. live.
14. News: Newman . Tim . Protesters speak out as Speak Up For Women hold meeting . 21 September 2021 . . 10 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210909153507/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/125388903/protesters-speak-out-as-speak-up-for-women-hold-meeting . 9 September 2021. live.
15. News: McLean . Hamish . Protesters in majority at Speak Up For Women address in Dunedin . 21 September 2021 . . 26 July 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210726083430/https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/protesters-majority-speak-women-address-dunedin . 26 July 2021. live.