Exhumations

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.