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Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against morality and decency, sexual crimes, and crimes against public welfare - Crimes against public welfare

150: Misconduct in respect of human remains

You could also call this:

“Breaking rules about how to treat dead bodies or what to do after someone dies”

You can get in trouble with the law if you don’t take proper care of a dead person’s body or remains. There are two main ways this can happen:

First, if you have a job or duty to bury or cremate someone who has died, you must do it properly. If you don’t do your job or if you ignore your responsibility, you could go to jail for up to 2 years.

Second, you must always treat a dead person’s body with respect. This is true whether the body is buried or not. If you do anything improper or disrespectful to a dead body or human remains, you could also go to jail for up to 2 years.

Remember, it’s important to be respectful and careful when dealing with people who have died, no matter what your job is or where you find them.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM329287.

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Part 7 Crimes against morality and decency, sexual crimes, and crimes against public welfare
Crimes against public welfare

150Misconduct in respect of human remains

  1. Every one is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years who—

  2. neglects to perform any duty imposed on him or her by law or undertaken by him or her with reference to the burial or cremation of any dead human body or human remains; or
    1. improperly or indecently interferes with or offers any indignity to any dead human body or human remains, whether buried or not.

      Compare
      • 1908 No 32 s 165