Licensing of funeral parlours, cemeteries and crematoria
s 67
Open ↗67. A person must not establish, use, manage, operate or run any premises as a funeral parlour, cemetery or crematoria without first obtaining a licence from the Director‑General.
Source
Environmental Public Health Act 1987 PART 8 — FUNERAL PARLOURS, CEMETERIES AND CREMATORIA
Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗
Corpse not to be retained beyond 48 hours unless encoffined
s 69
Open ↗69.—(1) No corpse may be retained in any premises, including a funeral parlour, for a period longer than 48 hours after death, unless the corpse is encoffined in a hermetically sealed coffin or is embalmed. (2) So long as the corpse is encoffined in a hermetically sealed coffin or is embalmed, it may be retained in any premises, including a funeral parlour, for a period not exceeding 7 days after death, but where it is intended to retain a corpse for a period exceeding 7 days, the written permission of the Director‑General must be obtained.
Decomposed corpse
s 70
Open ↗70. No corpse in an advanced stage of decomposition may be received into any funeral parlour unless encoffined in a hermetically sealed coffin.
Agency may provide cemeteries and crematoria
s 71
Open ↗71. The Agency may provide suitable places to be used as public cemeteries and crematoria and must make proper provisions for maintaining them.
Places which may be used for burials, etc.
s 72
Open ↗72.—(1) No place may be used or prepared for the burial or cremation of any corpse except cemeteries or crematoria provided by the Agency or licensed by the Director‑General under section 67. (2) Despite subsection (1), the Minister may permit the burial at any suitable place of the corpse of any person who in the opinion of the Minister has rendered outstanding or meritorious service to Singapore.
Unlawful burials
s 73
Open ↗73.—(1) A person must not bury or cremate or cause or procure or allow to be buried or cremated any corpse in or upon any place, not being a place where burial or cremation is permitted under this Act or prepare any such place to be used for the burial or cremation of any corpse. (2) The Director‑General may, by written notice, require any person who has been convicted of an offence under this section to remove within 14 days —(a) the corpse in respect of the unlawful interment of which the person has been convicted from the place in which it has been buried to a lawful burial ground; and (b) any structure which has been erected at the place. (3) If, within 14 days, the person convicted produces to the Director‑General a licence granted under section 67, the notice may be cancelled. (4) Any person who refuses or neglects to comply with the notice shall be guilty of an offence. (5) The Director‑General may proceed to authorise any person to carry the notice into execution at the expense of the person so refusing or so neglecting to comply with the notice and to hire or employ proper persons for that purpose and may recover the expense in the manner provided by law for the levy of fines imposed by a court.
Power to close cemeteries, etc.
s 74
Open ↗74.—(1) If at any time it appears to the Director‑General that —(a) burials in any cemetery or place of burial should be wholly discontinued; (b) the cremation of corpses in any crematorium or any place used for the cremation of corpses should be wholly discontinued; or (c) any cemetery or place of burial, crematorium or any place used for the cremation of corpses or any part thereof is being used in contravention of any condition of the licence granted in respect of the cemetery or crematorium, the Director‑General may order the cemetery or crematorium or any part thereof to be closed and may revoke the licence thereof and thereafter it is not lawful to use the cemetery or crematorium or part thereof (as the case may be) as a place for the burial or cremation of corpses. (2) No such closing or revocation has effect until it has been confirmed by the Minister.
Unauthorised structure
s 75
Open ↗75.—(1) A person must not construct or erect any unauthorised structure in any cemetery or crematorium. (2) The Director‑General must, by written notice, require any person who constructs or erects an unauthorised structure in any cemetery or crematorium to demolish or remove the structure within such period as the Director‑General may specify, and if the person fails to do so within the period specified, the Director‑General may cause the structure to be removed or demolished.
Exhumation
s 76
Open ↗76.—(1) No corpse may be exhumed otherwise than —(a) by a notice from the Director‑General under section 73; (b) by order of a Magistrate, Coroner or Commissioner of Police for the purpose of judicial inquiry; (c) by written permission granted for that purpose by the Director‑General; and (d) by the Director‑General for the purpose of using the place where the corpse is buried for the burial of another corpse. (2) Any person who exhumes or causes to be exhumed or, being the owner, trustee or person in charge of any burial ground, permits to be exhumed any corpse in contravention of this section shall be guilty of an offence.
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