Report says post mortem legislation urgently needed

LEGISLATION must be introduced immediately to ensure that no post-mortem examination can be carried out or organs retained without appropriate authorisation, a new report insists.

The report, published yesterday by Health Minister Mary Harney, was drawn up by a working group established by the minister in May to examine the legal and ethical issues relating to post-mortem practice.

The working group was chaired by Dr Deirdre Madden, the Government-appointed legal expert who also produced a report on key issues relating to post-mortem practices and procedures at the end of last year.