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Public knowledge of deaths in common-law jurisdictions.

  • 01-04-2022 1:31pm
    #1
    political analyst
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,593 ✭✭✭


    I'm aware of some cases in England in which the deaths of people who were relatively well known were not publicly announced until months, or even years, after the deaths took place.

    I assumed that births, marriages and deaths were matters of public record - in common-law jurisdictions, anyway.

    Doesn't the legal obligation on next-of-kin of the deceased to inform the authorities of the deaths mean that the deaths become matters of public record soon afterwards?



Comments

  • #2
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,714 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus


    Yes, it does, and not just in common-law countries.

    But something being a matter of public record doesn't mean that it gets reported in the media. The newspapers don't have Births, Deaths and Marriages Correspondents hanging around the registry and trawling through new registrations every day to see if they recognise any famous names. Registration of a death puts it on record, but it doesn't in itself attract any publicity.



  • #3
    coylemj
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25,498 ✭✭✭✭coylemj


    A lot of famous people have real names that are different to their professional names so stars of yesteryear can often die and we don't hear about it for a while, in part because nobody in the registry office recognises the name when the death is being registered. If the death gets into the public domain soon after the person's passing and it's not as a result of an announcement by the family, it's often because someone in the hospital/nursing home/undertakers has leaked it to the tabloid press in return for a payment.



  • #4
    Peregrinus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,714 ✭✭✭✭Peregrinus



    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118874684#Comment_118874684

    This is extremely rare - in fact I cannot recall a case, and on the face of it it seems very unlikely. When someone dies, people in their family and social/professional circles normally hear about it fairly quickly, and well-known people (or formerly well-known people) tend to have plenty of other [formerly] well-known people in their social circle, as well as media and PR figures.

    The media don't have to make corrupt payments to healthcare employees or public servants to hear when somebody of note had died; they'll hear anyway. Finding out out about deaths is generally not difficult; it's concealing them that is difficult.



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