Paige Harris Birth Registration Act 2022

Coat of Arms of New Zealand

Paige Harris Birth Registration Act 2022

Private Act
 
2022 No 1
Date of assent
 
18 March 2022
Commencement
 
see section 2

Preamble

(1)

Paige Katherine Elizabeth Harris was born on 25 March 2020 in Papakura. Her parents were Kyle Jason Harris and Katherine Elizabeth Harris and Paige Harris was carried by a surrogate, Renee Ellen Johnson, pursuant to approval based on the medical harm to Katherine Harris should she carry a child:

(2)

Katherine Harris died from an unexpected rejection of a lung transplant on 28 December 2019, before Paige Harris was born:

(3)

Following the birth of Paige Harris, an adoption order under the Adoption Act 1955 was granted at Hamilton Family Court on 23 June 2020 [FAM-2020-019-000331] naming Kyle Harris as the father with no mother named:

(4)

The birth record registering the adoption order information named Kyle Harris as the father and no name was included for the mother. The birth certificate stated the mother as “Not Recorded”:

(5)

Because Katherine Harris died before the birth of Paige Harris, there is no means other than a Private Bill by which Katherine Harris’s name can be added to Paige Harris’s birth record under the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995 in order that both of Paige Harris’s parents can be shown as such on her birth certificate:

The Parliament of New Zealand therefore enacts as follows:

1 Title

This Act is the Paige Harris Birth Registration Act 2022.

2 Commencement

This Act comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.

3 Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

Registrar-General has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995

specified adoption order means the adoption order made in favour of Kyle Jason Harris by the Family Court at Hamilton on 23 June 2020 [FAM-2020-019-000331] in respect of Paige Katherine Elizabeth Harris.

4 Registration of adoption order to include mother’s details

The Registrar-General must add, in accordance with section 24 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995, the details of Katherine Elizabeth Harris as mother on the birth record of Paige Katherine Elizabeth Harris (as well as the details of Kyle Jason Harris) as if—

(a)

a notice under section 23 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Act 1995 had been received containing that information; and

(b)

the specified adoption order had been made in favour of Kyle Jason Harris and Katherine Elizabeth Harris.

5 Parents of Paige Katherine Elizabeth Harris

(1)

Kyle Jason Harris and Katherine Elizabeth Harris are, for all purposes, the parents of Paige Katherine Elizabeth Harris.

(2)

Subsection (1) has effect despite the specified adoption order.

(3)

Subsection (1) does not affect section 4.

Legislative history

10 February 2022

Introduction (Bill 109–1)

15 February 2022

First reading and referral to Governance and Administration Committee

4 March 2022

Reported from Governance and Administration Committee

(Bill 109–2)

16 March 2022

Second reading, committee of the whole House, third reading

18 March 2022

Royal assent