The Kerala Right to Burial of Corpse in Christian Cemeteries Act of 2020 regulates burial rights in parish cemeteries for the Malankara Orthodox-Jacobite Christian community in Kerala. It applies to parish families, granting members the legal right to be buried in their ancestral cemetery plots. Relatives can choose their priest and bypass church services if preferred. This law matters because it addresses protracted church conflicts by protecting a family's right to bury their dead without interference. Anyone attempting to block these burials faces criminal charges, including imprisonment of up to one year, securing peaceful and dignified final rites for families.
Official Legislative Text
Educational Study Layer
Chronological legislative evolution of The KERALA RIGHT TO BURIAL OF CORPSE IN CHRISTIAN (MALANKARA ORTHODOX-JACOBITE) CEMETERIES ACT, 2020 across statutory gazettes and amending Acts.