Public display

Human bodies and body parts may be displayed in public places, for example in exhibitions or in museums. The HTA licenses organisations that display any bodies of deceased people, or any tissue that has been taken from their bodies which is less than one hundred years old.

The HTA defines public display as:

"An exhibition, show or display in which a body of a deceased person or relevant material which has come from the body of a deceased person is used for the purpose of being exposed to view by the public."

The HTA does not license the display of photographic or electronic images, for example on TV or in a textbook.

Consent

Under the Human Tissue Act, consent must be given by a person in writing whilst they are alive, for their body to be displayed in public after their death. For more information about this read our code of practice on public display.

Please use the links on the left of this page to access information for the public display sector.