The Ethics of Body Disposal

Following the success of last year’s event, IDEA The Ethics Centre at the University of Leeds is pleased to announce the return of the online workshop event: The Ethics of Body Disposal. This event will be held online on Thursday, 9th July 2026 (see website for exact time).

eciding what to do, what you would like to be done, and what others should be permitted to do, raises a number of ethical questions – at this event, we would like to offer a space to explore and discuss some of these. 

Such questions might include:  What responsibilities do we have to the dead and to the living in making body disposal decisions? Would ignoring the wishes of the deceased be morally injurious? Should their wishes be honoured even if it might offend others in society? How should laws restrict what we can and cannot have done with our own bodies after death? Should body disposal decisions be made with the interests of others still living, even those unknown to the deceased, in mind? In disagreements over arrangement for disposal of a loved one’s body, should relationships to the deceased be the central focus in who should decide?  This list is not exhaustive but is meant to be indicative of some of the issues and questions that can be raised by this topic. 

For more information, Click Here