Exhumation without church or MoJ approval…- Law & Religion UK

Posted October 22nd, 2019 in burials and cremation, ecclesiastical law, Ministry of Justice, news by tracey

‘On 17 October 2019, the Daily Mail carried the snappily-titled, but detailed headline Remains of Captain Matthew Flinders – the man credited with naming Australia – will be reburied in his home village after being found in London during HS2 dig. The story concerns the remains of Captain Flinders which were discovered during the excavation of St James’s burial ground for the new High Speed rail project; the article explains:

“Following a request by descendants of the Flinders family and the local community that he be returned to his home village of Donington, Lincolnshire, HS2 Ltd’s chief executive Mark Thurston has written to the family to say he can be buried there.”

Well, not quite, for although under secular legislation, as the “nominated undertaker” under the Act, HS2 has the authority for the exhumation of Flinders’ remains and their subsequent retention, re-interment in the Donington churchyard is governed by ecclesiastical law.’

Full Story

Law & Religion UK, 19th October 2019

Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com