Coroners Act 2006

Deaths to be reported and post-mortems - Release of bodies, and retention and return of body parts and bodily samples

52: Requests for return of retained parts and samples

You could also call this:

"Asking for body parts or samples to be returned after someone has died"

You can ask for body parts or samples to be returned under sections 50 or 51. If you do not say which parts or samples you want, you will be asking for all of them. You need to make your request in writing, but you do not have to use special words to describe the parts or samples.

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This page was last updated on 12 December 2025 — View changes

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51: Pathologists proposing to retain parts or samples under section 48(2)(c) must advise of right to request return, or

"Pathologists must tell you they're keeping body parts and that you can ask for them back"

53: Parts and samples whose retention is not permitted must generally be returned when body released, or

"Body parts that can't be kept must be returned when the body is released"

Part 2Deaths to be reported and post-mortems
Release of bodies, and retention and return of body parts and bodily samples

52Requests for return of retained parts and samples

This section applies to a request, under section 50 or 51, for the return of a body part or bodily sample.
If the request is not expressly confined to 1 or more specified parts or samples, it must be treated as seeking the return of all parts and samples retained in relation to the body concerned.
The request need not describe specifically or technically the part or sample, but must be in writing and may, but need not, be in an approved form.

Notes

Section 52(3): amended, on 5 April 2023, by section 7 of the Coroners Amendment Act 2023 (2023 No 8).