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Museums and the Return of Human Remains: An Equitable Solution?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2010

Steven Gallagher
Steven Gallagher
Affiliation:
Faculty of Law, Chinese University of Hong Kong. Email: stevegallagher@cuhk.edu.hk
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Abstract

Disputes over the retention of human remains in museum and other collections are further exacerbated by the common law's limited recognition of the human body and its parts as property. Equity has long recognised the rights of the personal representatives of the dead to possession of the corpse or its remains for decent disposal. This essay considers the possible application of equitable principles to applications for the return of human remains from museum and other collections.

Type
Articles
Information
International Journal of Cultural Property , Volume 17 , Issue 1 , February 2010 , pp. 65 - 86
Copyright
Copyright © International Cultural Property Society 2010

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