Form BF7
Application for burial in a burial ground of body parts donated in Scotland and in possession of a person licensed under section 3(2) of the Anatomy Act 1984 before the commencement of the Anatomy Act 1984 (14 February 1988) or where the date of death is not known or is before 14 February 1988.
| Burial number [official use only] | Burial authority logo and/or address: | |
| Burial authority registration number | ||
| Burial ground | ||
| Day and date of burial | ||
| Time of burial |
Burial Authority Address: Council Offices School Place Kirkwall, KW15 1NY, registrar@orkney.gov.uk
This is a statutory form made under regulation 3 of the Burial (Applications and Register) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 and the information and questions contained in it should not be changed.
This form is used to apply for the burial of body parts which were:
- donated to a Scottish university for anatomical examination or teaching before commencement of the Anatomy Act 1984 (14 February 1988) (donation and death before 14 February 1988), or
- educational bones or specimens given to a Scottish university at any time, but where the date of death is not known or is understood to be before 14 February 1988.
This application must be signed by the person authorised to make the application for burial. The application is made to the burial authority which is to carry out the burial. The burial authority will need to check the form to make sure it contains all of the necessary information. Missing or inaccurate information may result in the burial being delayed or refused. If you are unsure about any of the information that is required, or are not sure what any part of the form means, you should speak to staff at the burial authority where the burial is to take place.
Personal data
The information provided on this form is a legal requirement under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 and will be processed in line with data protection legislation. The data will be held by the burial authority. It will be held securely, in confidence and processed solely for purposes set out by or under the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016. It will not be shared with any third party other than an inspector of burial, if requested. You have the right to know what data is held about you and you can, by contacting the burial authority in writing, receive a copy of that data. The burial authority is obliged to include in their privacy notice how the information will be held, for how long and how you may make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
IMAGE: The first page is a statutory Form BF7 application for burial of donated or historical body parts. It contains fields for the burial number, burial authority logo or address, registration number, burial ground, burial date and time, followed by guidance about the form, its purpose, completing the application, and the handling of personal data.
Section 1: Burial details
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of burial ground | |
| Burial ground address and postcode | |
| Type of burial | ☐ Full coffin burial ☐ Other casket (body part) |
| Type of lair(a) | ☐ New lair ☐ Existing lair, but no previous burial Please describe location in burial ground (e.g. section and lair number): .............................................................................................................................................. ☐ Existing lair which contains a previous burial Please describe location in burial ground (e.g. section and lair number) and give details of last burial (deceased name and date of burial): .............................................................................................................................................. |
| Any other requests or instructions? |
(a) A lair is a Scottish term for a burial plot or grave.
IMAGE: The second page is Section 1 of Form BF7. It provides fields for the burial ground name and address, checkboxes for full coffin burial or another casket containing a body part, checkboxes for new or existing lairs, space to describe the lair location and any previous burial, and space for other requests or instructions.
Section 2: Application for burial
I, (name of Licensed Teacher of Anatomy/authorised person(b) .............................................................................................................. at (name of Scottish university) .............................................................................................................. request that the body part(s) described below is/are buried. I confirm that the body part(s) described below were either donated to or acquired by (insert university name) .............................................................................................................. before the commencement of the Anatomy Act 1984 (14 February 1988) or were given to the university after this date, but the date of death is not known but understood to have been before 14 February 1988.
| Anatomy reference number | Parts for disposal |
|---|---|
(b) The university may authorise a suitable person to complete Form A7 (such as a Bequest Co-ordinator).
Section 3: Declaration
I declare that I have the legal right to apply for this burial. To the best of my knowledge and belief, all the information given in this application is correct, no information has been omitted and authorisation for the disposal has been obtained.
Signed: ..............................................................................................................................................
Full Name: ..........................................................................................................................................
Date: ...................................................................................................................................................
Organisation: ......................................................................................................................................
Business address and postcode: ............................................................................................................
Business telephone: ..............................................................................................................................
IMAGE: The third page contains Sections 2 and 3. Section 2 records the authorised applicant, Scottish university, basis for burial, anatomy reference numbers and parts for disposal. Section 3 contains the declaration of legal right and fields for signature, name, date, organisation, business address and telephone number.
Section 4: Funeral director declaration (if applicable)
This section is to be completed by the funeral director if funeral directing services are used.
Coffin or casket details
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Coffin/casket material (including handles) | |
| Coffin/casket shape | |
| External Coffin/casket Measurements (in cm) | |
| Overall length | |
| Width at widest part (including any handles fully extended) | |
| Width at narrowest part | |
| Depth | |
| Combined weight of deceased and coffin (in kg) | |
| Any other requests or instructions? |
I declare that I have discussed the options with the applicant and know no reason why the burial cannot take place. I understand that if I become aware of anything that may mean the burial should be delayed, I must inform the burial authority and the applicant.
Signed: ..............................................................................................................................................
Full Name: ..........................................................................................................................................
Date: ...................................................................................................................................................
Business name and address: .................................................................................................................
Business email address: ........................................................................................................................
Business telephone: ..............................................................................................................................
Funeral director registration number: ....................................................................................................
IMAGE: The fourth page is Section 4, for completion when funeral directing services are used. It records coffin or casket material, shape, external measurements in centimetres, combined weight, other requests or instructions, the funeral director’s declaration, and the funeral director’s contact and registration details.
Section 5: Authorisation for burial
Please confirm the location in the burial ground of the new or existing lair to be used for this burial (e.g. lair number/section/extension).
This section is used by the burial authority to confirm that the application is in order and that the burial can take place.
I confirm that all relevant sections of this form have been completed.
I confirm that I approve this application for burial.
Signed: ..............................................................................................................................................
Full Name: ..........................................................................................................................................
Position: ..............................................................................................................................................
Date: ...................................................................................................................................................