Burial customs can vary between cultures with some requiring same day burial and others needing immediate access to the body which means problems are caused when the body's release is delayed.
For the past year the Maori Affairs Committee has been holding an inquiry into whanau access to, and the management of tupapaku - the deceased.
Its purpose is to find whether legislative or regulatory changes could ease family access - or quicken the release of tupapaku for tangi or funerals.
This week paramedics, students and funeral directors told the committee their views.
Labour MP Peeni Henare on the Maori Affairs Committee hears from submitters on an inquiry into the management and access to tupapaku. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
