Recommended Practice based on International Guidelines
Cause of death information, however, contains sensitive and often confidential medical information. Therefore, it is good practice to not include cause of death information on the standard form death certificate. To protect privacy while at the same time allowing for the provision of cause of death when needed, some countries provide for a long-form death certificate which contains cause of death information and a short-form death certificate which does not contain cause of death information. The long-form death certificate is only accessible to those with a legitimate interest in the cause of death, which may include family and government officials.
Sri Lanka
Legal Analysis
Under Section 56, BDRA, anyone can request a certified copy of the death certificate. In Form R of the BDRA (Certificate of Registration of Death), there is a line that mentions "Cause of Death" and can be accessed by anyone who is making a written declaration to access the certified copy.