Removal of human remains
17.—(1) In this article “the specified land” means [insert description of the land].
(2) Before the undertaker carries out any development or works which will or may disturb any human remains in the specified land it shall remove those human remains from the specified land, or cause them to be removed, in accordance with the following provisions of this article.
(3) Before any such remains are removed from the specified land the undertaker shall give notice of the intended removal, describing the specified land and stating the general effect of the following provisions of this article, by—
(a)publishing a notice once in each of two successive weeks in a newspaper circulating in the area of the authorised project; and
(b)displaying a notice in a conspicuous place on or near to the specified land.
(4) As soon as reasonably practicable after the first publication of a notice under paragraph (3) the undertaker shall send a copy of the notice to [insert relevant local authority].
(5) At any time within 56 days after the first publication of a notice under paragraph (3) any person who is a personal representative or relative of any deceased person whose remains are interred in the specified land may give notice in writing to the undertaker of that person’s intention to undertake the removal of the remains.
(6) Where a person has given notice under paragraph (5), and the remains in question can be identified, that person may cause such remains to be—
(a)removed and re-interred in any burial ground or cemetery in which burials may legally take place; or
(b)removed to, and cremated in, any crematorium,
and that person shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after such re-interment or cremation, provide to the undertaker a certificate for the purpose of enabling compliance with paragraph (11).
(7) If the undertaker is not satisfied that any person giving notice under paragraph (5) is the personal representative or relative as that person claims to be, or that the remains in question can be identified, the question shall be determined on the application of either party in a summary manner by the county court, and the court may make an order specifying who shall remove the remains and as to the payment of the costs of the application.
(8) The undertaker shall pay the reasonable expenses of removing and re-interring or cremating the remains of any deceased person under this article.
(9) If—
(a)within the period of 56 days referred to in paragraph (5) no notice under that paragraph has been given to the undertaker in respect of any remains in the specified land; or
(b)such notice is given and no application is made under paragraph (7) within 56 days after the giving of the notice but the person who gave the notice fails to remove the remains within a further period of 56 days; or
(c)within 56 days after any order is made by the county court under paragraph (7) any person, other than the undertaker, specified in the order fails to remove the remains; or
(d)it is determined that the remains to which any such notice relates cannot be identified,
subject to paragraph (10) the undertaker shall remove the remains and cause them to be re-interred in such burial ground or cemetery in which burials may legally take place as the undertaker thinks suitable for the purpose; and, so far as possible, remains from individual graves shall be re-interred in individual containers which shall be identifiable by a record prepared with reference to the original position of burial of the remains that they contain.
(10) If the undertaker is satisfied that any person giving notice under paragraph (5) is the personal representative or relative as that person claims to be and that the remains in question can be identified, but that person does not remove the remains, the undertaker shall comply with any reasonable request that person may make in relation to the removal and re-interment or cremation of the remains.
(11) On the re-interment or cremation of any remains under this article—
(a)a certificate of re-interment or cremation shall be sent by the undertaker to the Registrar General by the undertaker giving the date of re-interment or cremation and identifying the place from which the remains were removed and the place in which they were re-interred or cremated; and
(b)a copy of the certificate of re-interment or cremation and the record mentioned in paragraph (9) shall be sent by the undertaker to [insert relevant local authority] mentioned in paragraph (4).
(12) The removal of the remains of any deceased person under this article shall be carried out in accordance with any directions which may be given by the Secretary of State.
(13) Any jurisdiction or function conferred on the county court by this article may be exercised by the district judge of the court.
(14) Section 25 of the Burial Act 1857(1) (bodies not to be removed from burial grounds, save under faculty, without licence of Secretary of State) shall not apply to a removal carried out in accordance with this article.
1857 c.81. There are amendments to this Act which are not relevant to this Order.