Dear Editor,
I have read, with some frustration and also some amusement, the problems faced by people trying to obtain birth, death and marriage certificates. Firstly, in these modern days of electronic record processing I see no reason why a birth or other certificate should take months to be issued.
Secondly, the present system is being abused by persons like justices of the peace, lawyers’ clerks and others who know persons working in the General Register Office who charge fees which are shared with the clerk, etc. This underground system has overtaken the regular system and is the bearbug for these who visit the office for any certificate.
Finally, we are still observing clerks tumbling huge handwritten books written up nearly one hundred years ago. With a population of less than 800,000 people and in the modern day of the computer, we need not join lines to wait for a birth or death certificate. Observe also how the banks and the Lotto Company use an integrated electronic system countrywide. Maybe Gecom can also take note.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
