The Anatomy (Northern Ireland) Order 1992

Introductory

Title and commencement

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Anatomy (Northern Ireland) Order 1992.

(2) This Order shall come into operation on such day or days as the Head of the Department may by order appoint.

(3) An order under paragraph (2) may include such transitional or saving provisions as appear to the Head of the Department to be necessary or expedient in connection with the provisions brought into operation by the order, but nothing shall be so included if it would conflict with Article 3(3).

Interpretation

2.—(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(1) shall apply to Article 1 and the following provisions of this Order as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(2) In this Order—

“anatomical examination” means the examination by dissection of a body for purposes of teaching or studying, or researching into, morphology; and where parts of a body are separated in the course of its anatomical examination, such examination includes the examination by dissection of the parts for those purposes;

“anatomical specimen” means—

“body” means the body of a deceased person;

“the Department” means the Department of Health and Social Services;

“regulations” means regulations made by the Department subject to negative resolution;

“statutory provision” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(f) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954.

Application of Order

3.—(1) Nothing in this Order applies to anything done for the purposes of a post-mortem examination requested or required or directed to be made by a competent legal authority or carried out for the purpose of establishing or confirming the causes of death or of investigating the existence or nature of abnormal conditions.

(2) If part of a body is authorised under section 1 of the Human Tissue Act (Northern Ireland) 1962(2) to be removed for purposes of medical education or research, that section (and not this Order) applies to the removal and use of the part, even if the education or research consists of or involves anatomical examination; but the preceding provisions of this paragraph do not prevent this Order applying as regards the body after such removal or where no such removal is made.

(3) Nothing in this Order affects anything done in relation to the body or part of the body of a person who died before the coming into operation of Article 6.