CREMATION LAWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10737, 7 November 1928, Page 9

CREMATION LAWS.

STRINGENT REGULATIONS. .The regulations governing cremation which were gazetted a short time ago are widely drawn.* The following are some of the provisions:— No crematorium shall bo used for the cremation of human remains until it, lias been approved in writing for that purpose by the Minister. Except with the authority of the Medical Officer of Health, no cremation of human remains shall take place elsewhere than in an approved crematorium. It shall mot be lawful to cremate the remains of any person who 13 known to have left a written direction to the contrary. It shall not bo lawful to cremate human remains which have not been identified except following the dism- ; ferment of remains which have been buried for not less than one year. No cremation shall take place until ; the death of the deceased has been .. duly registered, except—(a) 'Where [ an ‘inquest has been held and a certi- • ficate given by a coroner; or (b) folI lowing the disinterment of remains i which have been buried for not less - than one year; or (c) iii the case oi r the remains of a still-born cnild.

No cremation shall take place unless application be made and isnjjfciei ted by a certificate. . The application and certificate must be signed by an executor or by the nearest surviving relative of the deceased ,or,' if made by any other.person, must state a reason why the application is not made by one ot the persons mentioned. In tho case of the* body ot, an unclaimed person, the application ana certificate may ba signed by any per- : son charged with the duty ofcUsposI ing of such .body. The cemeterj* trustees slio.ll appoint a medical referee, who must Re a registered medical practitioner of not less than five years’ standing, and must possess such experience and qualifications as will fit bun for the discharge of the duties required of him. If otherwise qualified, he may he a person holding the office of Coroner or of Medical Officer or of medical superintendent of a public hospital, or any other office. Ihe medical referee shall not give Ins consent to any cremation unless a cert ficate has been given by a medical practitioner who attended the dSSS/dunnn hi? last .Urn*. or sake can definitely certify as to the cause of death ; or a post-mortem examination has been made or an mqiiest held and a certificate given by a Coronei. No medical referee shall give his consent to any cremation in any case [n which he attended the deceased as a medical practitioner during his last ' illness ■ but this provision shall nob apply to the case of a person dying.

in a public hospital of which the medical referee is the medical superintendent, if such deceased person shall have also been so attended i<y another medical practitioner, whether a member of the hospital staff or not,