Services of Civil Registration

In reply to Starred Question No. 568 raised in the Goa Legislative Assembly on 5th July 1995 by late Shri Manohar Parrikar, the then Law Minister Shri Dominic Fernandes informed the House that a total of 43 Portuguese enactments continued to remain in force in the State of Goa. The particulars of those laws were furnished in Annexure I appended to the said reply. The present Legislative Diploma is mentioned at Serial No. 14 in the said list.

As no authoritative English translation of this Legislative Diploma dated 06-11-1950 relating to the services of Civil Registration was available in the public domain, Goa Kaido, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence, has undertaken the task of preparing its English rendering with a view to making all such Portuguese enactments, referred to in the aforesaid Assembly Question, accessible to readers, legal researchers, academicians and members of the public.

On a close examination of the present Diploma, it appears that many of its substantive provisions no longer possess significant practical relevance in the contemporary legal and administrative framework of the State of Goa, particularly in view of the fact that matters relating to Civil Registration are now governed by Indian statutory provisions and allied procedural laws presently in force. Nevertheless, from the standpoint of legal history, archival continuity and comparative legislative study, this Diploma continues to possess considerable documentary importance.

Accordingly, for the benefit of readers and researchers, this publication incorporates the English translation of the principal provisions of the present Diploma in the Notification File, together with the original Portuguese text as published in the Official Gazette in the Act File, so as to facilitate reference, preservation and comparative study.