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You Can't Keep Your Relatives' Skulls

theatlantic.com

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Re: You Can't Keep Your Relatives' Skulls

#3
post #2

I wonder if these laws could be challenges under freedom of speech laws? Isn't determine what is done with your body via will a final act of speech that should be protected?

That seems far-fetched, at best. Freedom of speech guarantees your right to say that you want this, but does not force anyone to actually comply with it. Especially if it requires breaking a law.

Re: You Can't Keep Your Relatives' Skulls

#5
It appears not to be impossible in Europe.

A common "Today I learned"-frontpager on reddit is about composer Tchaikowsky's skull, which was donated to be used in Hamlet, described on Wikipedia here:

After reading TFA I wonder how they got him deboned. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Tchaikowsky#Skull

Re: You Can't Keep Your Relatives' Skulls

#7
post #2

I wonder if these laws could be challenges under freedom of speech laws? Isn't determine what is done with your body via will a final act of speech that should be protected?

Not a chance, anything around integrity of final will and testament would be a much better fit than free speech. IANAL though, no idea where it would sit on the scale from laughed-out-of-the-room to stands-a-chance.

Re: You Can't Keep Your Relatives' Skulls

#8
I live in the UK and a few years back I looked into whether my body could be converted into one of those cool articulated skeletons on my death.

It turns out there's currently a huge oversupply of articulated skeletons in the UK, as the "Human Tissue Act 2004" [1] means (tldr) you now have to have a license to own one. An amnesty means the few institutions that have such licenses have more skeletons than they can possibly use.

Apparently as many as 8 a week are dropped off, grinning from the back seat and enjoying their day out.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Tissue_Act_2004

Re: You Can't Keep Your Relatives' Skulls

#9

It appears not to be impossible in Europe. A common "Today I learned"-frontpager on reddit is about composer Tchaikowsky's skull, which was donated to be used in Hamlet, described on Wikipedia here: After reading TFA I wonder how they got him deboned. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Tchaikowsky#Skull

Deboned or defleshed?
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