Ahead of the Justice Select Committee’s Inquiry into presumption of death legislation in October, the charity Missing People is searching for families who have used the Presumption of Death Act in Scotland who would be willing to share their story.

Missing People is currently working closely with families in England and Wales to submit written evidence to the inquiry which highlights the shortcomings of the current system. As part of our submission, we are keen to compare and contrast the experience of a family in England and Wales with that of a family that has used specific presumption of death legislation in Scotland. Records show that 171 people have been presumed dead since legislation was introduced in 1977.

If you have used Scotland’s Presumption of Death (1977) Act and would like to support Missing People’s work around this issue so that other families might have access to a better system, then please consider getting in contact via e-mail ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or telephone (020 8392 4525).