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Case scenario
Ray had always lived with his mother. When his mother became ill she was admitted to hospital, but died within a few days. Ray wanted her to be buried under her favourite tree in their garden. What is the law?.
Key words: Death * Culture and religion * Law
Understandably, the way in which a body is disposed of is an extremely important aspect of many different religions and even those who do not believe in an after life may have decided views on the arrangements they would wish for their body after death. A person has no control over his/her dead body - such control is vested in the person in lawful possession of the body. Thus, a person in his/her will cannot require his executors to make any arrangements with the body which is not according to the law and cannot bequeath his/her body parts except as is permitted under the Human Tissue Act 1961 and Anatomy Act 1984 (which are considered in later articles).
This article considers the various ways in which different religions treat the dead body and what the law requires. It is not anticipated that nurses would be required to carry out any of the different procedures, but it is considered helpful if a nurse is aware of different religious and legal requirements and knows what may be requested or required.
Christians
If there is a hospital chaplain, it is advantageous if he/she is informed by nursing staff when a patient is dying or receiving terminal care or when there is a sudden emergency, such as an emergency admission to accident and emergency, where the patient is considered unlikely to survive, or an unforeseen deterioration, a cardiac arrest or a decision to switch off artificial ventilation or feeding. After death Christians are normally clothed in a shroud and wrapped in a cloth or sheet. The arms and hands are placed at his/her sides. There is no religious objection to a postmortem or cremation. Roman Catholics and other Christian denominations seek to have the rite of extreme unction or rite of the anointing of the sick. Since 1972, a new rite has been used within the Roman Catholic church, which is not necessarily associated with the imminence...