Registration of the death
Any death is required by law to be registered at the registration office for the district in which the death occurred.
After registration a green certificate is issued to the informant (person registering a death). This certificate has 2 parts, "b" and "c". Part "c" must be completed by the person responsible for recording the burial and returned to the issuing registration office within 96 hours of the burial taking place.
Part "b" should be kept with the deeds to the property.
Coroner
The coroner's office will advise the next of kin:
- when a burial can be carried out
- what certificate will be issued
- the type of funeral that can be held.
This is in cases where a coroner is involved and informed of the intention to bury on private land.
Notifiable diseases
Where a person has died from a notifiable disease there are certain requirements to be taken into account when making funeral arrangements. These can be discussed with the hospital who cared for the deceased or with a funeral director. Funeral directors arrangements can be made without the need to involve a funeral director. However, it is not advisable to proceed without at least discussing the requirements with a funeral director. This is because their assistance can be invaluable.