The Isle of Man’s civil registration services are being centralised as part of an ongoing programme of modernisation.
The registration of births, deaths, civil marriages and civil partnerships will be consolidated in Douglas in a move that will see the phased closure of district offices in Ramsey, Castletown and Peel. Personnel responsible for delivering the current services have been informed of the changes.
The aim is to improve customer service by driving forward new efficiencies and improvements in response to recent legislative developments. Although the district offices are closing over the next 9 months, the General Registry has pointed out that it will still be possible for couples to hold a civil marriage or partnership ceremony anywhere in the Isle of Man.
Carol Dowd, Director of Public Services in the General Registry, said:
‘Centralising the registration service in Douglas will enable the Civil Registry staff to focus on delivering a consistent and professional service to all its customers. Although the changes will result in some cost savings for the General Registry, the primary driver has been the need to modernise our service. In particular, we are seeking to improve customer service through the way in which registrations are undertaken and copy certificates and information are accessed and provided in the future. We look forward to welcoming people to our central office in Douglas.’
The General Registry has committed to modernising its registration services in order to keep pace with important changes to the Island’s legislation. One of the main developments was an amendment in 2011 to the Civil Registration Act which resulted in the Isle of Man becoming one registration district for the purposes of registering a birth, death, marriage or civil partnership.
Previously births, deaths and marriages had to be registered in the district in which the event occurred. Other key changes came into force in 2011, including the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act which made it possible for same-sex couples to apply to hold their civil partnership ceremony at any location in the Isle of Man. At the same time the Marriage Act 1984 was amended to enable couples to apply to have their civil marriage ceremony anywhere in the Island.
Carol Dowd said:
‘The implementation of these legislative changes has provided equality for all as well as driving forward the modernisation of a service that has not always kept up with the pace of change over the last 20 years. The centralisation of our registration service is the next logical step in our programme of improvements and the phased closure of the district offices over a six-month period will hopefully ensure a smooth transition.’
