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Maritime Transport Act 1994

Duties in relation to maritime activity - Duties in relation to crewing

25: Body and effects of deceased seafarer

You could also call this:

"What happens to a seafarer's body and belongings if they die at sea"

Illustration for Maritime Transport Act 1994

If you are the employer of seafarers on a New Zealand ship, you must make arrangements for a seafarer's body and belongings if they die during a voyage. You may need to return the body to their next of kin or arrange for the body to be buried or cremated. When making these arrangements, you should try to find out what the deceased person's next of kin wants to happen and follow their wishes if possible. If a seafarer dies, their next of kin can include their civil union partner or de facto partner. You should consider this when trying to find out what they want to happen to the body. You have a responsibility to make suitable arrangements for the body and belongings. You can find more information about changes to this law in the Relationships (Statutory References) Act 2005.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM335670.

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Topics:
Family and relationships > Death and bereavementWork and jobs > Worker rights

Part 3Duties in relation to maritime activity
Duties in relation to crewing

25Body and effects of deceased seafarer

  1. Subject to subsection (2), every employer of seafarers on a New Zealand ship shall make suitable arrangements for the body and effects of any seafarer who dies in the course of a voyage, which may include the return of the body to the deceased’s next of kin or the burial or cremation of that body.

  2. The employer shall endeavour to ascertain the reasonable wishes of the deceased’s next of kin and shall, where practicable, comply with those wishes.

  3. For the purpose of this section, a person’s next of kin may include that person’s civil union partner or de facto partner.

Compare
  • 1952 No 49 s 106(2)
Notes
  • Section 25(3): added, on , by section 7 of the Relationships (Statutory References) Act 2005 (2005 No 3).