Achieving Universal Birth Registration for Indigenous Australians: Recommendations from the Victorian Law Reform Commission

Abstract

Birth registration and birth certificates are fundamental human rights. Yet these rights are not reflected in the Australian legislative regime. Rather than focusing on the rights of children to have their birth registered and a birth certificate issued, the statutory regime in Victoria, and other state and territories, is framed around the obligation of the parent to undertake these tasks, or risk being fined. This article analyses the recommendations made by the Victorian Law Reform Commission in its Birth Registration and Birth Certificate Report which was produced following a community consultation.

Keywords: birth registration, birth certificate, Indigenous, identity, civil registration, vital statistics, Regulatory law

JEL Classification: K10, K30