We call on the Government to introduce a weekend service for families to obtain death certification promptly after a death, including from Friday evening through to Sunday night and into Monday morning, so that burial can take place without avoidable delay in accordance with religious requirements.

At present, many families are unable to obtain a death certificate outside normal weekday hours because this service is not usually provided at weekends. This means that when a death occurs on a Friday evening or during the weekend, burial may be delayed. For many religious communities, this delay creates serious hardship, as prompt burial is a deeply held religious obligation.