The Children (Equality of Status) Act 1976 (97/1976) was ‘an Act to remove legal disabilities of ex-nuptial children; to facilitate the establishment of the paternity and maternity of children; and to amend the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages Act, 1973, and certain other Acts’. It removed the nineteenth and early twentieth century inequality in law between ‘legitimate’ and ‘illegitimate’ (ex-nuptial) children. This Act was amended by the Children (Equality of Status) Amendment Act 1979, the Maintenance (Amendment) Act 1977, the Miscellaneous Acts (Community Welfare) Repeal and Amendment Act 1987 and the Miscellaneous Acts (Education and Public Instruction) Repeal and Amendment Act 1987. It was repealed by the Status of Children Act 1996.