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Coroners -
sudden death investigations
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The Coroner (England and Wales) or Procurator Fiscal
(Scotland) has a duty to investigate all sudden and
unexplained deaths, as well as deaths in suspicious
circumstances. Deaths are usually reported to the
Coroner or Procurator Fiscal by the police, a doctor
or the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
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Death
- bereavement - advice and support
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Provision of support and advice to relatives about
the arrangements that need to be made after a
bereavement, such as registering the death and
obtaining a death certificate.
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Death
- exhumations
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Exhumation of both buried and cremated remains
generally requires a Home Office licence. An
Environmental Health Officer must be present at the
exhumation and supervises the event to ensure that
respect for the deceased person is maintained and
that public health is protected. In Scotland when a
body is required to be exhumed the order must be at
the controls of the Procurator Fiscal. The Divisional
Officer of the Bereavement Service is in attendance
to ensure that the operators carrying out the task
are supervised accordingly.
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Death
- historical searches
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Searches of the records in a Registrars Office for
details of a previously registered death. Copy
certificates can only be obtained from the district
in which the death was first registered. The minimum
information needed to find an entry is the name of
the person, place and year of death.
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Death
- mortuaries
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The mortuary service handles deaths that have been
referred to the coroner or deaths where no death
certificate can be issued.
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Death
- registering
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Death should be registered in the district in which
it takes place within five days of the date of death.
Upon receipt of all required information pertaining
to the deceased person a death certificate is issued
by the registrar.
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Death
- repatriation of bodies - England and Wales
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If a death occurs abroad, the death should be
registered according to the local regulations of that
country. To bring a body back to England or Wales
either the Death Certificate or an authorisation for
the removal of the body from the country of death is
needed. The registrar in the district in which the
funeral is to take place has to issue a 'Certificate
of No Liability to Register'. You can bring a body
back to Scotland once you have got the death
certificate and an authorisation for the removal of
the body from the country of death from the
appropriate authorities. To bring the body into
Scotland you will need either an authenticated
translation of a foreign death certificate or a death
certificate issued in England, Wales or Northern
Ireland, depending on the place of death.
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Death
- repatriation of bodies - abroad
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Some countries require a Cadaver Certificate before
they will allow a body into the country for burial.
The certificate, if issued, confirms that no epidemic
of infectious disease occurred in the borough for
some three months preceding the death. The
certificate is issued by the Environmental Health
Officer for the Council in whose area the person
died, or is to be exhumed from before reburial
elsewhere. Every country has its own regulations and
it is always worth checking with the Embassy or
Consulate first.
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Funeral -
burials
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Provision of a community funeral service. This is a
low fixed price scheme that is available for all
funerals where a local resident has died. A local
officer may also deal with general enquires on issues
relating to bereavement.
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Funeral -
buying a grave
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In cemeteries run by the local authority citizens may
buy a grave plot usually for a period of up to 50
years. There may be conditions attached to the
purchase according to the type of grave i.e. whether
a memorial can be placed on the grave etc.
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Funeral -
civil
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A civil funeral is a celebration reflecting the
wishes of the deceased and their family. It is a
personal and dignified tribute created by a
professional celebrant who works closely with the
family or executor and funeral director. The
celebrant will aim to create a highly personal
ceremony with the help of family and/or friends
-recounting the person's experiences, attributes and
qualities using music, poetry, readings and personal
anecdotes. The civil funeral may be held anywhere
except religious buildings and churches. The ceremony
is appropriate for cremation or burial in a
non-religious burial ground.
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Funeral - cost
information
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Information about services available from the local
authority and the associated costs for those who
would like to organise an independent funeral.
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Funeral -
cremations
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Provision of a community funeral service. This is a
low fixed price scheme that is available for all
funerals where a local resident has died. A local
officer may also deal with general enquires on issues
relating to bereavement.
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Funeral -
independent
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Advice and information on how to organise a funeral
without the use of a funeral director.
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Funeral - low
cost
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Provision of a low cost funeral service for citizens.
A person in receipt of benefits or on low income may
be entitled to get financial assistance towards the
cost of the funeral.
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Funeral -
memorial construction
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Memorials may be erected on graves which have
exclusive rights of burial. Applicants must contact
the council with exact details of the construction of
the memorial, the method of erection and the
inscription. Permission from the council to erect the
memorial is required before the memorial is erected.
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Funeral -
records
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The Registrar's Office maintains burial and cremation
records for all cemeteries in the area. Citizens may
apply to the Registrar to search burial and cremation
records.
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Memorial
safety check and repair
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Stillbirth -
registering
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Every still-birth in England or Wales must be
registered in the district in which it takes place,
normally within 42 days. This normally takes place at
the Register Office (although the still-birth may be
registered in the hospital in which it took place).
Following registration a certificate will be issued.
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Wills
and testaments
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Wills and testaments service provides general advice
on making a will and offers contacts who will assist
people wishing to make a will.
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