Código de Registo Civil, dtd 09.11.1912

This code was enacted shortly after Portugal became a Republic (1910). It marked a major shift because it secularized the registration of births, marriages, and deaths. Before this, these records were largely handled by the Catholic Church; after this decree, they became the mandatory responsibility of the civil state across the Portuguese Empire, including the territories in India.. After Liberation, it continued to remain in force in the State of Goa, as informed by the Law Department during Question Hour in the State Legislative Assembly on 5 July 1995, while answering Starred L.A.Q. No. 568 tabled by Late Shri Manohar Parrikar