Committee Details

ABOUT THE BILL

On 2 December 2022 the Hon Shannon Fentiman MP, the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence introduced the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Bill 2022 into the Queensland Parliament. The Bill was referred to the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee for detailed consideration and report by 24 February 2023.

View: Explanatory speech 
View: Bill 
View: Explanatory Notes
View: Statement of compatibility 

Draft regulation tabled with the Bill
View: Draft Subordinate Legislation No. …
View: Draft Subordinate legislation – Explanatory Notes
View: Draft Subordinate legislation – Human Rights Certificate 

Objective of the Bill 

The Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 2003 (BDMR Act) establishes Queensland’s life event registration system and commenced on 1 February 2004 based on a Model Law which was designed to provide nationally consistent legislation across Australian States and Territories. 

Since 2004 there have been changes to the social, policy and operational environment which have affected the way the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (the registry) delivers its services including: 

• a number of social changes that have led to calls for the life event system to more appropriately accommodate the diversity of Queensland society (e.g., increased use of fertilisation procedures and greater awareness of the trans and gender diverse community)
• significant operational changes at the registry, including online applications processes for certain services and the development of several new data products and services to support the registry’s status as an entirely self-funded entity
• an increased focus by government on appropriate data use and protection, and the prevention of identity theft and fraud, including ensuring life event registration systems are not misused for fraudulent purposes.

The Bill repeals and replaces the existing BDMR Act to ensure registration services remain relevant, responsive and contemporary. The key objectives of the Bill are to:

• strengthen the legal recognition of trans and gender diverse people
• better recognise contemporary family and parenting structures
• facilitate improvements in the operations of the registry
• support fraud prevention and minimise misuse of the life event system
• clarify the information collection, use and sharing powers of the registrar.

submissions

Submissions closed at 12:00pm on Wednesday 11 January 2023. Published submissions can be accessed from the ‘view submissions' tab above. 

COMMITTEE'S REPORT

The committee is due to table its report on 24 February 2023. The report will be published here. 

TIMELINE