Background

In Re Ormskirk Parish Churchyard [2026] ECC Liv 2, Mr and Mrs Newsome petitioned for a faculty to exhume the remains of their son Adam, who had died of cancer in 2007, aged 19. Their intention was to rebury him in West Lancashire Cemetery [1 & 3]. Their reasons for making the application were that the churchyard and the church grounds had become

“a gathering place for youths indulging in antisocial behaviour, and perhaps more concerning drug abuse. There is anecdotal evidence that needles and other drug paraphernalia have been found lying in and around the gravestones in the churchyard” [5],

This caused them considerable distress, and Mrs Newsome found that visiting her son’s grave made her feel “intimidated and unsafe” [7]. The Newsomes said that it was also becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the grave to an acceptable standard [8]. Continue reading →