Is it true you must have a funeral under English law?

No it is not true, Acts are not laws.

No. The only legal requirement is that the body is disposed of in a lawful way, which basically comes down to it being buried, or cremated at a licensed crematorium. It's all about ensuring public health. Burial can be almost anywhere, but it would be wise to check with the local authority about where is legal. The only thing special about churchyards and cemeteries is that they are "consecrated ground".

Doing it either way need not involve any ceremony. The cheapest way to use a crematorium is "delivery only" - just take the body there and have it put in the cremator, without booking any time for a funeral service in the chapel. The law also requires that it be cremated in a coffin, and you could also save expense by using a cardboard one if the crematorium allows it.

A body cannot legally be disposed of by incineration in ANY other way - the Cremation Acts are quite firm. One reason I can think of for this is that bodies burn more slowly than most rubbish, as the human body is mostly water and bones don't burn easily. A typical cremation takes 90 minutes to 2 hours for the body to be thoroughly reduced to ashes.and only a proper cremator can do this. Even then, there will still be visible fragments of bone and these are ground up using a cremulator to achieve fine-grained ashes. Another consideration is that if the deceased had a pacemaker fitted, that must be removed or it will explode.

Meanwhile, English law also states that you cannot dispose of your body by will. So there is no point in putting your wishes in your will. It is the responsibility of your executors, or administrators if you leave no will, to dispose of the body in a legal manner and all you can do is let them know what you want.

No you do not have to have a 'funeral' as long as the law is observed with regards to your disposal as in your cremation at a recognised and licensed crematorium

There are no legal requirements for a form of funeral ceremony, oddly enough. We saw an old friend off recently and he had made it clear he wanted no fancy hearse, no ceremony at all so once the coroner had given permission for cremation we booked the facility, took him there, said goodbye and let him go.

It comes under the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. Dead bodies must be buried in land set aside for that purpose or cremated. There is no requirement for a ceremony. It is the responsibility of the local authority to arrange for burial or cremation of anyone who dies or is found dead in their area - unless legal arrangements are made to transfer the body elsewhere. They can then claim the cost from the dead person's estate.

So landfill is out. The incinerator at a rubbish burning power station would be legal, but you'll need to complete your negotiations with the authority who runs the site before you die. How are you feeling? It might be worth making a start now.

There is no law to say that you have to have a funeral. There are, however, some things which can not be done. Read the link

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