Exhumation and reburial

Exhumations must be conducted with appropriate respect for the deceased and taking into account public order and public health considerations. A funeral director must always be engaged in such cases.

You cannot exhume a body buried in a burial ground unless specific conditions are met and the Coroner gives you a permit.

The Coroner will only provide a permit for exhumation of a body where the following conditions have been met

• Written consent has been obtained from the Medical Officer of Health

• If the body is buried in the grounds of a Church of England Church, a faculty (permission) has been obtained from the Ecclesiastical Court

• Written consent has been obtained from the authority responsible for the burial ground

The process for exhumation of ashes (which have been buried following a cremation) is simpler and usually only requires the permission of the authority in charge of the cemetery. 

Enquiries about exhumation and reburial should be directed to the Court Services Team in the Viscount's Department.