23 May 2011

Laws on burial to be reviewed

2:06 pm on 23 May 2011

A review is to be held of the laws governing the care and disposal of the dead.

The Law Commission says the Burial and Cremation Act is largely unchanged since it came into law in 1964.

The review is looking in particular at the care of bodies, cultural sensitivities and how the Act responds to eco-burials.

It will also consider whether it remains adequate for the funeral industry to be self regulating.

Local authorities, the main providers of cemeteries, have already been surveyed, and the Law Commission wants to hear the views of members of the public, and from people involved in the disposal of the dead.

Submissions close on 1 July.