Environmental Public Health (Crematoria) (Amendment) Regulations 2022

No. S 417

Environmental Public Health Act 1987

Environmental Public Health (Crematoria)
(Amendment) Regulations 2022

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 111 of the Environmental Public Health Act 1987, the National Environment Agency, with the approval of the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations are the Environmental Public Health (Crematoria) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 and come into operation on 29 May 2022.

Amendment of regulation 2

2. In regulation 2 of the Environmental Public Health (Crematoria) Regulations (Rg 6) (called in these Regulations the principal Regulations) —

(a)

replace the definition of “corpse” with —

“ “corpse” means the body or remains of a deceased person or stillborn child, whether decomposed or otherwise, but does not include ashes;”;

(b)

delete the definition of “inspecting officer”; and

(c)

replace the definition of “registered medical practitioner” with —

“ “medical practitioner” means a registered medical practitioner under the Medical Registration Act 1997 who holds a valid practising certificate granted under that Act;

“RBDA” means the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 2021, or the repealed Registration of Births and Deaths Act 1937 that was in force immediately before 29 May 2022;

“stillbirth” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 2021;

“stillborn child” has the meaning given by section 2(1) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act 2021.”.

Replacement of regulation 7

3. Regulation 7 of the principal Regulations is replaced with —

“Prohibited cremations

7.—(1) The licensee or an authorised officer must not allow a corpse to be cremated if —

(a)

in the case of a deceased person —

(i)	it is known that the deceased person has left a written direction to the contrary; or
(ii)	the deceased person has not been identified; or

(b)

paragraph (2) is not satisfied.

(2) Before a corpse is cremated, the death or stillbirth (as the case may be) must have been registered under the RBDA or, in the absence of such registration, a medical practitioner must have issued a written confirmation of the death or stillbirth, as the case may be.”.

Amendment of regulation 8

4. In regulation 8 of the principal Regulations, replace paragraph (2) with —

“(2) The application must be made by —

(a)

in the case of a deceased person —

(i)	the executor of the estate of the deceased person or the nearest surviving relative of the deceased person;
(ii)	a person who is duly authorised to do so by any person mentioned in sub‑paragraph (i); or
(iii)	any other person who has given sufficient reason to the Director‑General as to why the application is not being made by any of the persons mentioned in sub‑paragraphs (i) and (ii); and

(b)

in the case of a stillborn child —

(i)	the nearest surviving relative of the stillborn child, or a person who is duly authorised to do so by that relative; or
(ii)	any other person who has given sufficient reason to the Director‑General as to why the application is not being made by any of the persons mentioned in sub‑paragraph (i).”.

Deletion of regulation 9

5. Delete regulation 9 of the principal Regulations.

Amendment of regulation 10

6. In regulation 10 of the principal Regulations —

(a)

in paragraph (1), after “the following particulars”, insert “for each cremation at the crematorium”;

(b)

in paragraph (1), replace sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) with —

“(a)	the serial number and date of the cremation;”;

(c)

in paragraph (1)(c), before “the name”, insert “where the cremation is for a deceased person —”;

(d)

in paragraph (1)(c), replace “each deceased person cremated therein” with “the deceased person”;

(e)

in paragraph (1)(d), replace “of each deceased person” with “or stillbirth, as the case may be”;

(f)

in paragraph (1), after sub‑paragraph (d), insert —

“(da)

the cause of death of the deceased person or stillborn child, as the case may be;”;

(g)

in paragraph (1), replace sub‑paragraphs (f) and (g) with —

“(f)	the document number of the certificate of death or stillbirth issued under the RBDA, or (where such certificate has not been issued) the document number of the written confirmation mentioned in regulation 7(2) that is issued, for the death or stillbirth, as the case may be;”;

(h)

in paragraphs (1)(h) and (2), delete “of the person”;

(i)

in paragraph (2), replace “after each cremation” with “after the cremation”; and

(j)

in paragraph (2), replace “such ashes” with “the ashes”.

Amendment of regulation 12

7. In regulation 12(2) of the principal Regulations, replace “the remains of deceased persons of any race or religion” with “corpses (irrespective of race or religion)”.

Amendment of regulation 16

8. In regulation 16 of the principal Regulations —

(a)	replace “the remains of a deceased person who has been buried” with “an exhumed corpse”; and
(b)	in the regulation heading, replace “remains” with “corpse”.

Amendment of regulation 17

9. In regulation 17 of the principal Regulations, replace “the remains of the deceased person” with “a corpse”.

Amendment of regulation 18

10. In regulation 18 of the principal Regulations —

(a)	in paragraph (a), replace “remains of a child” with “corpse of a stillborn child, or a deceased child”; and
(b)	in paragraph (b), replace “remains of any other person” with “corpse of any other deceased person”.

Amendment of regulation 19

11. In regulation 19 of the principal Regulations —

(a)	in paragraphs (b) and (c), replace “certificate” with “document”; and
(b)	in paragraphs (b) and (c), replace “the remains of any deceased person” with “any corpse”.

[G.N. Nos. S 270/2005; S 84/2007; S 530/2010]

Made on 24 May 2022.

LEE CHUAN SENG

Chairperson,
National Environment Agency,
Singapore.

[MSE/C030/01/101; NEA/LD/176; AG/LEGIS/SL/95/2020/24 Vol. 1]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 111(4) of the Environmental Public Health Act 1987).

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