A certificate of religious belief may prohibit the coroner from conducting an autopsy if it is executed by an individual of what minimum age?

• A. Eighteen years of age, or older
• B. Sixteen years of age, or older
• C. Twenty years of age, or older
• D. Twenty-one years of age, or older

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that a certificate of religious belief to bar an autopsy must be signed by someone who has legal capacity to make binding personal declarations. In California, 18 is the age of majority, meaning an adult can legally express and enforce their religious beliefs regarding what happens to their body after death. If the certificate is executed by someone 18 or older, the coroner is generally required to respect it and not perform an autopsy, within the statute’s scope. A signer younger than 18 wouldn’t have the legal capacity to bind themselves in this way, so their certificate wouldn’t effectively prohibit an autopsy. Therefore, the minimum age that makes the certificate enforceable is eighteen.