The Court ordered that the deceased's ashes be interred at Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park, reflecting a compromise reached between the deceased's equally-ranking parents, with the father bearing the interment costs and the mother having previously borne funeral and cremation costs. The Court confirmed that the principles governing release of a body under Britt v Office of the State Coroner apply equally to disputes over possession and disposal of ashes, and that where equally-ranking relatives dispute ash arrangements, practical considerations and the sensitivities of close relatives inform the discretion, with the outcome turning on the particular facts. Costs of the proceeding were shared, with the father ordered to pay half the mother's filing fees, on the basis that both parents had a legitimate interest and the final outcome reflected compromise rather than outright success by either party.
The full text is available to signed-in members.