While the stories and hidden histories of the dead stand at the heart of this book, it is important to frame these narratives against the restrictions and permissions of the ‘laws’ that governed matters of consent, harvesting and research in modern British medical research. This seemingly simple endeavour is considerably complicated by the fact that as well as direct legislation on these matters, medical practice and the ‘rights’ of the dead and dying are shaped by legislation in other areas of criminal, civil and administrative law. Official and unofficial ‘guidance’ and long-established customs also have purchase on these matters. In turn, the fact that much ‘law’ merely clarified or amended previous legislation rather than repealing it, means that ‘the law’ becomes ‘the laws’. Thus, there is often considerable scope for differential interpretations of legal permissions at any chronological point. In this sense, law matters very much for the interpretation of the stories that we will go on to encounter in the rest of this volume. This second chapter therefore explores complex issues of legality, legislation and informed consent