Commentary on Sections Handling of ashes Section 54 – Power of funeral director in relation to ashes
144.This section sets out the options available to a funeral director when they have collected ashes from the crematorium on behalf of the applicant but the applicant has subsequently failed to collect them from the funeral director as agreed. Subsection (2) requires the funeral director to take further steps to ascertain the wishes of the applicant. The applicant may ask the funeral director to retain the ashes for a further period before collecting them. Where the applicant provides further instructions to the funeral director, the funeral director is obliged to comply with those instructions. If the applicant then does not collect the ashes as agreed, the funeral director may return them to the crematorium. If the applicant informs the funeral director that he or she wishes the funeral director to return the ashes to the cremation authority, the funeral director must do so. If the applicant does not provide any further instructions, the funeral director may return the ashes to the crematorium.