STORY
The Government Legal Department has reinstated the Bona Vacantia unclaimed estates list after a review found no evidence that the list itself had been used as a source of fraud. The list, which can help people identify estates they may be entitled to claim, had been taken down in July 2025 amid allegations of fraud within the wider probate system.
Officials said the review concluded the publication of the list was not driving fraudulent activity, but the Bona Vacantia Division will now publish less information as a precaution. Going forward, entries will display only the deceased person’s name, date of death, the area where they died and the division’s case reference number.
The department said requests for additional information will be handled in line with relevant statutory requirements, signalling a tighter approach to disclosure while keeping the list usable for legitimate family tracing and entitlement checks.