Department welcomes judge’s comments
10/11/2006
The Department of Internal Affairs is today welcoming comments made in the Auckland District Court by the judge sentencing fraudster Rebecca Li to four years’ jail. Judge Joyce said he wanted to “stamp out” the crimes of forgery and fraud.
The Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Brian Clarke says it is heartening to see a strong line being taken and hopes it will deter would-be fraudsters and others from making or using false documents.
“It’s also a warning to people to thoroughly check documents presented as evidence of identity. People must not accept a birth certificate on its own as proof of identity. A birth certificate can be used in conjunction with other identity documents but does not by itself establish an identity.
“A birth certificate says that a certain person was born on a particular date in a certain place with a particular name. The document itself says in capital letters “THIS CERTIFICATE IS NOT EVIDENCE OF THE IDENTITY OF THE PERSON PRESENTING IT”, Mr Clarke says.
The government has recently issued an Evidence of Identity Standard to guide government agencies about correctly using documentation to verify identity.
Contact: Marguerite Fahy, Senior Communications Advisor, 04 382 3700
