‘UK consumers are typically being overcharged by at least £400 – and possibly a lot more – when they pay for a funeral, according to Britain’s competition watchdog.’
The Guardian, 13th August 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The mother of a 22-year-old insurance clerk murdered in 1988 has asked judges to quash a Parole Board decision to release her daughter’s killer.’
BBC News, 29th July 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The Church of England has disowned a legal ruling in its own religious courts after a grieving family was banned from erecting a memorial with an untranslated motto in Irish because it might arouse political “passions”.’
The Guardian, 5th June 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘As the coronavirus pandemic progresses, a recent indication of the development of funeral practices was given by The Guardian headline “UK councils begin to ban funeral ceremonies due to coronavirus“. Although dated 4 April, changes were being introduced by Leeds City Council as early as 20 March when it was announced that new funeral bookings (in Leeds) would be “cremation only”’ with no attendees.’
Law & Religion UK, 15th April 2020
Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com
‘Nicknames on gravestones are not to be allowed, a Church of England court has declared as it bans the use of “popsicle” on a church’s headstones.’
Daily Telegraph, 10th November 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘The presumption of the permanence of Christian burial is well-known, as are the leading authorities on the test for granting a faculty for exhumation: In Re Christ Church Alsager[1] in the Province of York and In Re Blagdon Cemetery[2] in the Province of Canterbury. There have been a number of legislative[3] and common law[4] developments post these judgments, but they nevertheless remain the principal authorities on the topic.’
Law & Religion UK, 12th November 2019
Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com
‘This post reviews the secular and ecclesiastical legislation involved in the exhumation of Captain Flinders’ remains, discovered during the archaeological investigation at Euston Station, London, and their reburial in rural Lincolnshire. It updates an earlier post and incorporates the helpful Comments made and subsequent new information, and clarifies the legislative requirements involved.’
Law & Religion UK, 28th October 2019
Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com
‘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.’
Law & Religion UK, 19th October 2019
Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com
‘The Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) has upheld the title of the descendants of the original grantor to a family burial vault in a closed church.’
Law and Religion UK, 17th June 2019
Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com
‘Britain’s competition watchdog is launching a full investigation into the UK funeral market after it found the cost of organising a funeral increased by 6% each year – twice the inflation rate – for the last 14 years.’
The Guardian, 28th March 2019
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The permanence of Christian burial and the application of Re Blagdon Cemetery [2002] Fam 299 has been a continuing theme on L&RUK, and has also been explored in Leading Works on Law and Religion. This is the first of three posts in which we consider exhumation for the purpose of examining the remains of monarchs, mass murderers, and for medical research. Most recently, in Re St. John’s Cemetery Elswick [2018] ECC New 4, the court granted a faculty for a temporary disinterment for the purposes of obtaining a DNA analysis from bone fragments to be taken from the remains, in relation to a criminal conviction of the petitioner’s husband.’
Law & Religion UK, 13th March 2019
Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com
‘A Muslim man who said his human rights were breached by a council’s refusal to permit a marble edge around a grave has lost a High Court battle.’
BBC News, 22nd January 2019
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The issue of the permanence of Christian burial and the circumstances in which, exceptionally, exhumation and reinterment of remains might be authorised by faculty has arisen once again in Re St X, the Cremated Remains of AA [2018] ECC Lic 7.’
Law & Religion UK, 9th January 2019
Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com
‘The Church of England has ordered the remains of an alleged paedophile to be exhumed after living family members said they do not wish to be buried alongside him.’
Daily Telegraph, 7th January 2019
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘A Muslim man has taken his local council to the High Court after complaining that their burial rules are infringing on his human rights.’
Daily Telegraph, 4th December 2018
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘The UK funeral market could be the subject of the competition watchdog’s next investigation, after the regulator said it had “serious concerns” with the sector due to “unjustified” price hikes of more than 66 per cent over the last 10 years.’
The Independent, 29th November 2018
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The rise of DIY funeral directors is being investigated by the Competitions and Markets Authority, as traditional parlours have been hit by the growth of online competitors.’
Daily Telegraph, 11th September 2018
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘Lorraine Harris looks at the recent case of Adath Yisroel Burial Society (AYBS) and its impact on how the Coroner should approach requests for the expedition of cases.’
Park Square Barristers, 20th July 2018
Source: www.parksquarebarristers.co.uk
‘Hospital mortuaries are storing the dead in filthy fridges and employing such lax checks that families are at “significant risk” of burying the wrong bodies, inspections show. An investigation reveals a 20-fold rise in major failings found by watchdogs in just one year.’
Daily Telegraph, 1st August 2018
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘Review of the ecclesiastical court judgments during July 2018.’
Law & Religion UK, 30th July 2018
Source: www.lawandreligionuk.com
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