Knowingly lying on a birth certificate

[Zaphod99]

I have a not so distant instance of incorrect information being put on a birth registration. It's too recent to name names, but a teenage girl, living at home, with her parents and other siblings, gave birth, and, presumably to save any embarrassment to the rest of the family, she specified her rather unusual middle name as the mother's maiden name. 

That strikes me as probably being illegal, but what sort of penalty could she have faced? 

I will probably buy a copy of the birth certificate, just to see if it gives any information about the father, but I think that is unlikely.

Mrs Zaph

[Jebber]

It’s quite common for inconsistency in names on birth certificates to occur, people often lied on certificates  often done to conceal illegitimacy. Most of us will have come across many examples. She may have started using that name  once she realised she was having a baby  It is not illegal to call yourself what ever you like.

It occurs on marriage and death certificates .

[AntonyMMM]

If you don't have the certificate, then you don't know what's on the entry.....you're guessing.

[KGarrad]

That strikes me as probably being illegal, but what sort of penalty could she have faced? 

It's not illegal!
A person can call themselves anything they like, just as there is no intention to deceive or defraud.
No proof of name is asked for by the registrar.

[AntonyMMM]

If the information she gave was deliberately false then she potentially committed an offence of perjury..... but if the name was one she "used or was known by" then it was perfectly OK.

[ALAMO2008]

If the information was false then she potentially committed an offence of perjury..... but if the name was one she "used or was known by" then it was perfectly OK.

As No Oath was made to Register the Birth - then No Offence of Perjury was Committed

I have a Relative - the Mother Registered the Child in August but the Baptism was logged previously 3 months earlier in May

On Another Son The Mother declared the Father Named was Declared Deceased which was True - I have his Death Certificate 8 years previously.

I was taught as a Researcher to
 Remember that Records are Not necessarily the Truth
They are a Record of People "Said"
And what they Said may Not be the Truth

[AntonyMMM]

Swearing an oath isn't always required for an offence of perjury. Lying to a registrar is covered as a specific offence under s4(1) of the Perjury Act 1911 ( before that it was included as an offence within the relevant B&D legislation).

4) False statements, as to births or deaths.

(1) If any person—

(a) wilfully makes any false answer to any question put to him by any registrar of births or deaths relating to the particulars required to be registered concerning any birth or death, or, wilfully gives to any such registrar any false information concerning any birth or death or the cause of any death; ....etc etc.

Was subject to a maximum sentence 7 years imprisonment ( may be two years now)  ..... there is a notice warning of the potential offence displayed in every registrar's office (or should be).

[ALAMO2008]

Great Find Antony
Thanks for that Knowledge
Cheers

[Josephine]

Is there any possibility that the biological father's surname was the same as the mother's middle name, or would that be too much of a wild coincidence?