Beyond the grave: Do the dead have rights?

Abstract

Anatomists who work with the Dead often see themselves as custodians of the Dead. To those who opine that the Dead no longer have Rights (legal or moral) or privileges and have nothing more to contribute to the development of Society or to human endeavor, the Dead's custodians might respond that there is ample evidence that some Rights and privileges are accorded to the Dead. In this Viewpoint article, we outline where such Rights and privileges exist, providing a context as to how anatomists should uphold these for the betterment of our discipline.