Funeral Directors and the Privacy Act

[Janette]

Hi All,
Yesterday I emailed a Funeral Director asking for info and was refused under the Privacy Act.
I made an inquiry to the Privacy Commissioner's Office,this was the reply I received this morning

Dear Janette ,
 
The Privacy Act deals with personal information about a natural person which means that general information about a deceased person is not covered by the Privacy Act. However health information about a deceased person is covered by the Privacy Act and remains so for 20 years from the date of death.
 
Therefore if the information you wished to obtain from the FD was not health information, then the Privacy Act would not restrict the information being disclosed to you.
 
I trust this information will be useful.
 
Regards
XXXXX  XXXXXXXXX
Senior Enquiries Officer
Office of the Privacy Commissioner

[kiwihalfpint]

Thanks for posting and clarifying Janette.    Be handy to have for future use.

Cheers
KHP

[newbe_nz]

I would also like to say thanks Janette as well.

It looks like something we can use in the future for some of our requests to FD's

Newbe

[johnbarr]

Thanks Janette,

I wonder if we could use that argument in prising details from BDM where they refuse to provide a printout of early birth that might show details of father. 
as described here
http://www.mail-archive.com/new-zealand-l@rootsweb.com/msg05529.html

Would welcome advice from anyone else with this problem.

John B

[Suzy W]

That's interesting.  I must of had a lucky day when I emailed a funeral Director last year.  I asked for the family's details, and within that hour I made contact with a long lost relation on mum's side.  Found out death cause by asking this ladies daughter, so maybe when asking funeral directors for details, just ask for direct relations contact phone number or address.

Suzy W

[Thamesite2017]

Good to know this info
I think that funeral directors vary greatly in what they provide..don't you find this 
Some just flick you all the info they have, and others seems more hesitant
Bye
Althea

[Janette]

I forwarded the Privacy Commisioners email to the FD and received copies of the death certs almost immediately 

[andycand]

Whilst in this case the FD incorrectly referred to the Privacy Act in refusing information, what if they simply refused, is there any legislation that compels a FD to provide information?

Andy

[lil growler]

Andy thats an interesting question...it could be ambigious, although information but on health isn't private, do they have to supply the information.

I have just received an email stating that FD records are not a public document..so I have asked them to clarify and copied off Janettes response from the commisioner...we'll see how that pans out.

lil