Coronavirus Act 2020

19 Confirmatory medical certificate not required for cremations: England and Wales

(1) Regulation 16 of the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008 (S.I. 2008/2841) (which sets out preconditions for the cremation of the remains of a deceased person) has effect as if paragraph (1)(c)(i) did not require a confirmatory medical certificate to be given in accordance with regulation 17(2) of the Regulations.

(2) In relation to a case where regulation 16 has effect as mentioned in subsection (1), the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008 have effect with the following modifications.

(3) Regulation 2(1) (interpretation) has effect as if for the definition of “medical certificate” and “confirmatory medical certificate” there were substituted—

• ““medical certificate” is a reference to the certificate so named given in accordance with regulation 17(1);”.

(4) Regulation 12 (supplementary powers of medical referee) has effect as if sub-paragraph (a) were omitted.

(5) Regulation 14(2)(b)(i) (forms) has effect as if the words “the confirmatory medical certificate,” were omitted.

(6) Regulation 17 (medical certificate and confirmatory medical certificate) has effect as if—

(a) in the heading the words “and confirmatory medical certificate” were omitted, and

(b) paragraphs (2) to (4) were omitted.

(7) Regulation 22 (right to inspect medical certificate and confirmatory medical certificate) has effect as if—

(a) in the heading the words “and confirmatory medical certificate” were omitted,

(b) in paragraph (1)(a)(i) the words “and confirmatory medical certificate” were omitted,

(c) in paragraph (1)(a)(ii) for “those certificates” there were substituted “that certificate”,

(d) in paragraph (2) the words “and confirmatory medical certificate” were omitted and for “those certificates” there were substituted “that certificate”,

(e) in paragraph (3)(a) the words “and confirmatory medical certificate” were omitted, and

(f) in paragraph (3)(b) for “such a” there were substituted “the”.

(8) Regulation 23 (authorisation of cremation of the remains of a deceased person by medical referee) has effect as if—

(a) in paragraph (1)(d)(ii) for “certificates have” there were substituted “a certificate has”,

(b) in paragraph (2) the words “and confirmatory medical certificate” were omitted.

(9) Regulation 24(4)(b) (medical referee not satisfied about the cause of death of the deceased person) has effect as if the words “or confirmatory medical certificate” were omitted.

(10) Regulation 33(2)(k) (register kept by registrar) has effect as if the words “and confirmatory medical certificate” were omitted.

(11) At the end of a period for which this section has effect, it continues to apply in relation to the cremation of the remains of a person who died during that period but whose remains have not been cremated unless, at the end of that period, a medical certificate has not been completed in relation to the deceased person for the purposes of regulation 16(1)(c)(i) of the Cremation (England and Wales) Regulations 2008.