Faith leaders welcome burial ruling
Jewish and Muslim leaders welcome a High Court ruling that it was unlawful for a senior North London Coroner to end the prioritisation of the release of bodies for burial on grounds of religion. Their faith traditions say bodies must be buried within 24 hours, allowing mourning to start.
Rabbi Asher Gratt from the Adath Yisroel Burial Society, which brought the judicial review proceedings:
This legal victory will bring immense relief for grieving families to bury their loved ones with respect and dignity, preventing further unnecessary anguish at the darkest moment of their lives.
Keith Kahn-Harris, Senior Lecturer, Leo Baeck College and Fellow, Institute for Jewish Policy Research:
Today’s High Court ruling will be received with relief by the majority of the Jewish community covered by the Inner North London coroner. The court’s finding, that the coroner’s refusal to process Jewish and Muslim deaths speedily was discriminatory, is a recognition of the enormous importance that Jews and Muslims place on burial as soon as possible after death.
Rabbi Herschel Gluck, president of Shomrim (neighbourhood guardians) in Stamford Hill, chairman of the Arab-Jewish Forum and chairman and founder of the Muslim-Jewish Forum
The ruling totally vindicates our position and upholds the basic rights of the Jewish and Muslim communities for their dearly departed to be treated with due respect and dignity. I trust that this will give a pause for thought for all those involved in the Coroner Service to ensure that they are fully fit for purpose to provide a quick and efficient service for all those who wish and require a speedy burial whenever it is needed.
