Summary

Sri Lanka

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Sri Lanka Summary

Sri Lanka

Civil Registration System

Sri Lanka has a national level agency, called the Registrar General’s Department that is responsible for procedures of birth and death registration, and stillbirth reporting. The Births and Deaths Registration Act 1954 (BDRA) is outdated and does not reflect modern day practice of birth and death registration or stillbirth reporting. For instance, Part V of the BDRA applies to estates in Sri Lanka, which have a different process of registration under the law. However, Part V is obsolete and no longer in force.

Does the law designate a national level agency responsible for civil registration?

Yes, it is the Registrar General's Department

Does the law provide for a uniform process to complete civil registrations across the country?

To some extent

At what level of civil division are primary registration offices located?

Unclear

Does the law establish, or authorize the establishment of, secondary civil registration offices under the jurisdiction of the primary civil registration office?

No

Is the local civil registrar empowered by law to register vital events? If yes, do they have the power to issue certificates of registration?

Yes civil registrar empowered to register vital events and issue certificates

Does the law require the local civil registration office to transmit registration records to the national civil registration authority on a regular and timely basis?

Yes

Does the law provide for a right and a process to appeal a decision of a civil registrar?

Yes

Does the law authorize the local civil registrar to use mobile registration to reach remote or rural areas?

No

Does the law require that the civil registration authority share data with the agency responsible for producing vital statistics, on a regular and timely basis?

Yes

Does the law block the use of technology, such as electronic collection, transmission and storage of data, within the civil registration system?

No

Is there a national coordinating committee to address issues on the functioning of the civil registration system and its integration with other systems, such as the health sector, vital statistics, national identity system, medicolegal death investigation, and others?

Yes
Birth Registration

Sri Lanka’s primary legislation on CRVS governing birth registrations is the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1954 (BDRA), last amended in 2013. Amendments to the law have largely been for procedural aspects such as fee amounts and penalties, rather than major reforms. The forms used for declaration and notification of births are provided in the BDRA, however, we are aware that newer forms are used in practice that are not reflected in the legislation. These forms are issued through circulars by the Registrar General’s Department and Ministry of Health that govern the registration procedure, and role of health sector in the process.

Our legal analysis of Sri Lankan laws reveals that under the law, birth registrations are universal, compulsory, and free. There are clear processes laid in the law governing the registration procedure. The roles for informants and the health sector are also clearly identified.  

Is birth registration available and compulsory for all births occurring within the country's jurisdiction?

Yes

Does the law provide a clear definition of live birth? If yes, does the definition accord with international guidelines?

Yes

Where must births be reported?

Place of occurrence

What are the reporting periods for birth registration specified in law?

42 days/3-12 months/after 12 months

Are there any fees for on-time birth registration?

No

Is the original birth certificate provided free of charge?

Yes

Who is designated as the primary informant for births occurring in health facilities?

Either parent

Who is designated the primary informant for births occurring outside health facilities?

Either parent

Are there additional or alternative documents required for late or delayed birth registration?

Yes

Is a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) assigned at birth registration for every child born in the country?

Yes
Death Registration

The Births and Deaths Registration Act 1954 (BDRA) governs procedures for death registrations in Sri Lanka. The forms used for death registrations have been updated in practice through Ministry of Health and Registrar General’s Department issued circulars, which are not reflected in the primary legislation. There is an increased role of the health sector in registering deaths through these updated circulars.  

Death registrations are compulsory, available and free for all deaths occurring in the territory of Sri Lanka. There are clear procedures laid in the law governing the death registration process. Roles of informants and health sector are clearly identified.

Is death registration available and compulsory for all events occurring in the country's jurisdiction?

Yes

Where must deaths be reported?

Place of occurrence

Does the law provide a clear definition of death? If yes, does the definition accord with international guidelines?

What are the reporting time periods for death registration specified in the law?

5 days/3-12 months/more than 12 months

Who is designated as the primary informant for natural deaths that occur in a health facility?

Nearest relative

Are there any fees for on-time death registration?

No

Who is designated primary informant for natural deaths occurring outside a health facility?

Nearest relative

Are there additional or alternative documents required for late or delayed death registration?

No

What role do local leaders or local authorities have in the registration process for deaths that occur in the community?

Notification

Does the law link retirment of a UPI and/or identity credential to death registration?

No

Is the original death certificate provided free of charge?

Yes
Cause of Death

The Births and Deaths Registration Act governs medical certification of causes of death, by imposing the legal duty upon medical officers to issue Medical Certificates of Cause of Death (MCCDs). In unnatural, sudden and suspicious deaths, Sri Lanka’s MLDI authority plays a key role in certifying cause of death.   

Does the law require a cause of death (CoD) to register a death?

Cause of death information required but not an MCCD

Does the law clearly state who is responsible for medically certifying cause of death, for natural deaths occurring in a health facility?

Yes. Medical officer who attended the deceased during last illness.

Does the law designate a certifier of cause of death, for natural deaths occurring under medical supervision but outside a health facility?

Yes. Medical officer who attended the deceased during last illness.

Does the law provide a form to certify cause of death? If yes, does the form accord with WHO Medical Certificate of Cause of Death Form?

Yes the law provides a form for certifying cause of death that does not accord with WHO Standard MCCD Form

Does the law clearly state who is responsible for medically certifying cause of death when deaths are unnatural or suspicious, or otherwise referred to the MLDI authority?

No

Does the standard form death certificate include cause of death information?

Yes

Does the law allow for the use of verbal autopsy when there is no MCCD?

Yes
Medicolegal Death Investigation

Sri Lanka has a coroner system for medicolegal death investigations, and the procedures for conducting medicolegal death investigations are governed primarily by the Code of Criminal Procedure Act of 1979. There are, however, aspects of medicolegal death investigations that are addressed in the Births and Deaths Registration Act 1954. These aspects include the transmission of cause of death information to the civil registration system in MLDI cases and the form used to medically certify cause of death in MLDI cases. 

Who is designated as the primary informant for unnatural or suspicious deaths?

Specified officer of the medical legal system

What type of medicolegal death investigation (MLDI) system does the country have?

Coroner System

Does the law clearly state what types of cases must be referred to the MLDI authority and is this in accordance with international guidance?

Yes

Does the law mandate that law enforcement and/or heads of custodial institutions report all deaths in custody to the medicolegal death investigation authority?

Yes

For a death referred to the MLDI system, does the law specify how cause of death information is transmitted to the civil registrar and/or statistics agency?

Yes for transmission of information to civil registrar
Stillbirth Reporting

The Births and Deaths Registration Act 1954 (BDRA), provides a definition for stillbirths which accords with international guidelines. Stillbirths are reported through both the civil registration system and the health sector in Sri Lanka, due to a Ministry of Health Circular of 2015 that required health system authorities to improve stillbirth reporting. The health sector plays a notification role to the civil registration system in stillbirth reporting.

Does the law provide a definition of fetal death? If yes, does the definition of fetal death accord with international guidelines?

No

Does the law provide a definition of, or criteria for stillbirth? If yes, does the definition of or criteria for stillbirth accord with international guidelines?

Yes

What system(s) are used to report stillbirths?

Both

Is stillbirth registration available and compulsory for all stillbirths occurring within the country's jurisdiction?

Allowed

Who is the designated primary informant for declaring stillbirths to the civil registrar?

Unclear

What is the role of the health sector in stillbirth registration?

Notification

Where must stillbirths be reported?

Place of occurence

Are there any fees for stillbirth registration?

Unclear

Does the civil register contain a separate register for stillbirths, distinct from birth and death registers?

Yes

Does the law mandate reporting of all stillbirths through the health sector?

Does the law require or request medical certification of cause of death for stillbirths? If yes, does the medical certificate of cause of death used, accord with the WHO MCCD form?

No
Vital Statistics

The Statistics Ordinance 1936 establishes the present-day Department of Census and Statistics in Sri Lanka. Vital statistics data is derived from Sri Lanka’s civil registration system. The data is produced for the entire country at a central (or national) level, enabling uniform standards for vital statistics data collection. However, the law does not provide clear procedures or timeframes for the sharing of data between civil registration system and the vital statistics agency in Sri Lanka. The law is also silent on anonymization of data before it is transmitted by the civil registrar to the vital statistics unit.

Does the legal framework designate the entity or entities responsible for compiling vital statistics in the country?

Yes. Department of Census and Statistics.

Are vital statistics derived from the civil registration system?

Yes

Are there clear procedures and timeframes in the legal framework to facilitate sharing data from the civil registration agency to the national statistics agency(ies)?

No

Does the law require that civil registration data be anonymized before it is shared with the national statistics agency(ies)?

No

Are vital statistics compiled centrally?

Yes

Are the UN recommended high priority statistical topics collected at birth registration?

Partially

Are the UN recommended high priority statistical topics collected at death registration?

Partially

Are the UN recommended high priority statistical topics collected for stillbirths (either through civil registration or the Ministry of Health)?

Partially