Legal basis and discretionary power to act on an official order to performan autopsy (administratively described dissection)

In Germany, autopsies can be ordered by the representatives of the board of health according the Epidemics Law as so called administrative autopsy. If the autopsy is not absolutely necessary, it is mandatory to take into cons ideration the rights of the deceased persons as well as the rights of the r elatives. The decisions of the legislature concerning clinical autopsies mu st also be considered. The juridical aspects and different types of organis ing the interrogation of the relatives are explained.