You will need to be appointed as a medical referee if you intend to approve human remains for cremation. The remains of a deceased person can only be cremated if a permit to cremate has been issued by an appointed medical referee.
The role of a medical referee is to scrutinise the available information on the circumstances leading to death. A referee must:
- be certain that the deceased has died from natural circumstances
- establish that there is no indication of any non-natural process
- determine that cremation can safely proceed.
Once satisfied, the appointed medical referee can issue a permit to cremate.