A faculty was sought for the exhumation of a body in the graveyard, so that modern scientific tests could establish whether it was indeed the body of King Harold.
Held: Such a faculty must be granted only if a clear benefit could be established. A Christian burial was final, with a presumption against exhumation, which included any disturbance of the remains. Special circumstances were required to displace the presumption, to the degree of great historic national or other interest, amounting to a compelling reason. In this case there remained a strong possibility that the exhumation would not prove the truth either way. The presumption against disturbance was not displaced.
Citations:
Times 12-Dec-2003
Jurisdiction:
England and Wales
Ecclesiastical
Updated: 12 May 2022; Ref: scu.189891
