New funerary methods get legal framework for the first time

Alternatives to burial and cremation in England and Wales could be made available in future, following a Law Commission report published today that recommends a clear legal framework for the regulation of new funerary methods.

Currently, only burial, cremation, and burial at sea are regulated in England & Wales. New funerary methods — such as alkaline hydrolysis and human composting — are not covered by any specific legal framework, and it is unclear whether their use would be lawful. There have been developments in other parts of the world: Alkaline hydrolysis is available in several jurisdictions, including parts of Australia, Canada, US and most recently in Scotland, and human composting is available in parts of the US and Germany. The Law Commission’s report sets out recommendations which would allow methods such as this, and new methods which may be developed in the future, to be regulated in England and Wales.

The Commission recommends new primary legislation giving the UK Government (in relation to England) and the Welsh Government (in relation to Wales) the power to regulate individual new funerary methods through secondary legislation. Rather than trying to specify rules for each method now, the report proposes a flexible approach to ensure that future developments can be taken into account.

When making regulations about a specific method, the respective Governments would be required to consider three core principles: treating human remains with dignity, protecting the environment, and protecting public health and safety. These principles reflect values that already underpin the law on burial and cremation.

The recommended framework includes safeguards and using a non-regulated method would be a criminal offence. Regulations for each new funerary method would be subject to enhanced parliamentary scrutiny the first time each method is regulated.

Commissioner for Public Law, Professor Alison Young said,

“Burial, cremation and burial at sea are the only funerary methods currently regulated in England and Wales, although new funerary methods are being developed and are available in other jurisdictions. Our recommendations would create a clear, future-proof legal framework that would give the UK Government and the Welsh Government the tools to regulate new options safely, ensuring proper oversight, without affecting existing choices.”

The report follows a public consultation that received 124 responses from religious communities, industry bodies, funeral directors, local authorities, academics and members of the public. It forms part of a wider project on burial, cremation and new funerary methods, with three sub-projects of which this is the second. The report on Burial and Cremation was published in March 2026, and a third sub-project examining people’s rights to decide what happens to their body after death is ongoing.

Other recommendations include:

• Ensuring that regulations would make provision for the registration of each use of a new funerary method. This would keep the system consistent with how burials and cremations are currently recorded, and ensure there is sufficient oversight.
• Ensuring that compliance with regulations could be monitored and enforced. Regulations would need to include provision about inspection of facilities. The UK Government and the Welsh Government would also have the power to create criminal offences (or civil financial penalties) in secondary legislation for breaches of specific regulations, with maximum penalties set out in primary legislation.
• Allowing regulations to be made enabling controlled trials of new methods before they are fully regulated, provided the person whose body is involved gave their prior consent.
• Prohibiting the use of new funerary methods, other than those that have been regulated or are being used as part of an approved trial. Breach of this prohibition would be a criminal offence.

Two draft Bills — one for England and one for Wales — accompany the report. These give practical legal effect to the recommendations and are intended to provide a modern, consistent and future-proof framework for the regulation of new funerary methods

Further details and the final report are available on the project page.

Comisiwn y Gyfraith yn argymell fframwaith cyfreithiol ar gyfer dulliau angladdol newydd

Gallai dulliau angladdol oni bai am gladdu ac amlosgi fod ar gael yng Nghymru a Lloegr yn y dyfodol, yn dilyn adroddiad gan Gomisiwn y Gyfraith a gyhoeddwyd heddiw sy’n argymell fframwaith cyfreithiol clir ar gyfer rheoleiddio dulliau angladdol newydd.

Ar hyn o bryd, dim ond claddu, amlosgi a chladdu ar y môr sy’n cael eu rheoleiddio yng Nghymru a Lloegr. Nid yw dulliau angladdol newydd – fel hydrolysis alcalïaidd a chompostio dynol – yn dod o dan unrhyw fframwaith cyfreithiol penodol, ac nid yw’n glir a fyddai’n gyfreithlon eu defnyddio. Mae datblygiadau wedi bod mewn rhannau eraill o’r byd: Mae hydrolysis alcalïaidd ar gael mewn sawl awdurdodaeth, gan gynnwys rhannau o Awstralia, Canada, UDA, ac yn fwyaf diweddar yn yr Alban, ac mae compostio dynol ar gael mewn rhannau o’r Unol Daleithiau a’r Almaen. Mae adroddiad Comisiwn y Gyfraith yn nodi argymhellion a fyddai’n galluogi dulliau fel hyn, a dulliau newydd y gellid eu datblygu yn y dyfodol, i gael eu rheoleiddio yng Nghymru a Lloegr.

Mae’r Comisiwn yn argymell deddfwriaeth sylfaenol newydd sy’n rhoi pŵer i Lywodraeth Cymru (mewn perthynas â Chymru) a Llywodraeth y DU (mewn perthynas â Lloegr) reoleiddio dulliau angladdol newydd unigol drwy is-ddeddfwriaeth. Yn hytrach na cheisio pennu rheolau ar gyfer pob dull yn awr, mae’r adroddiad yn cynnig dull hyblyg er mwyn sicrhau y gellir ystyried datblygiadau yn y dyfodol.

Wrth wneud rheoliadau am ddull penodol, byddai’n ofynnol i’r gwahanol Lywodraethau ystyried tair egwyddor graidd: trin gweddillion dynol ag urddas, diogelu’r amgylchedd, a diogelu iechyd a diogelwch y cyhoedd. Mae’r egwyddorion hyn yn adlewyrchu gwerthoedd sydd eisoes yn sail i’r gyfraith ar gladdu ac amlosgi.

Mae’r fframwaith a argymhellir yn cynnwys mesurau diogelu a byddai defnyddio dull heb ei reoleiddio yn drosedd. Byddai angen craffu seneddol manylach ar y rheoliadau ar gyfer pob dull angladdol newydd y tro cyntaf y byddai pob dull yn cael ei gyflwyno.

Dywedodd Alison Young, Comisiynydd y Gyfraith yng Nghymru,

“Claddu, amlosgi a chladdu ar y môr yw’r unig ddulliau angladdol sy’n cael eu rheoleiddio yng Nghymru a Lloegr ar hyn o bryd, er bod dulliau angladdol newydd yn cael eu datblygu ac ar gael mewn awdurdodaethau eraill. Byddai ein hargymhellion yn creu fframwaith cyfreithiol clir a fyddai’n addas ar gyfer y dyfodol ac yn rhoi’r adnoddau i Lywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU reoleiddio opsiynau newydd yn ddiogel, gan sicrhau goruchwyliaeth briodol a heb effeithio ar ddewisiadau presennol.”

Mae’r adroddiad yn dilyn ymgynghoriad cyhoeddus lle daeth 124 o ymatebion i law gan gymunedau crefyddol, cyrff y diwydiant, trefnwyr angladdau, awdurdodau lleol, academyddion a’r cyhoedd. Mae’n rhan o brosiect ehangach ar gladdu, amlosgi a dulliau angladdol newydd, sy’n cynnwys tri is-brosiect, a dyma’r ail. Cyhoeddwyd yr adroddiad ar Gladdu ac Amlosgi ym mis Mawrth 2026, ac mae trydydd is-brosiect sy’n archwilio hawliau pobl i benderfynu beth sy’n digwydd i’w corff ar ôl marwolaeth yn dal i fynd rhagddo.

Dyma rai o’r argymhellion eraill:

• Sicrhau y byddai’r rheoliadau’n cyflwyno darpariaeth ar gyfer cofrestru pob defnydd o ddull angladdol newydd. Byddai hyn yn cadw’r system yn gyson â’r modd y caiff claddu ac amlosgi eu cofnodi ar hyn o bryd, ac yn sicrhau bod digon o oruchwyliaeth.
• Sicrhau y gellid monitro a gorfodi cydymffurfiad â’r rheoliadau. Byddai angen i’r rheoliadau gynnwys darpariaeth ynghylch archwilio cyfleusterau. Byddai gan Lywodraeth Cymru a Llywodraeth y DU hefyd y pŵer i greu troseddau (neu gosbau ariannol sifil) mewn is-ddeddfwriaeth am dorri rheoliadau penodol, gyda’r cosbau llymaf wedi’u nodi mewn deddfwriaeth sylfaenol.
• Caniatáu i reoliadau gael eu gwneud drwy alluogi dulliau newydd i gael eu treialu dan reolaeth cyn iddynt gael eu cymeradwyo’n ffurfiol, ar yr amod bod y person yr ymdrinnir â’i gorff wedi cydsynio i hynny ymlaen llaw.
• Gwahardd defnyddio dulliau angladdol newydd, ar wahân i’r rhai sydd wedi cael eu rheoleiddio neu sy’n cael eu defnyddio fel rhan o dreial cymeradwy. Byddai torri’r gwaharddiad hwn yn drosedd.

Mae dau Fil drafft – un ar gyfer Cymru ac yn ar gyfer Lloegr – yn cyd-fynd â’r adroddiad. Mae’r rhain yn rhoi grym cyfreithiol ymarferol i’r argymhellion a’u bwriad yw darparu fframwaith modern a chyson sy’n addas ar gyfer y dyfodol o ran rheoleiddio dulliau angladdol newydd.

Mae’r adroddiad ar gael yma.