New Zealand Legislation: Acts

3 Purpose of this Act

• (1) The purpose of this Act is to help to prevent deaths and to promote justice through—

  • (a) investigations, and the identification of the causes and circumstances, of sudden or unexplained deaths, or deaths in special circumstances; and

  • (b) the making of specified recommendations or comments (as defined in section 9) that, if drawn to public attention, may reduce the chances of the occurrence of other deaths in circumstances similar to those in which those deaths occurred.

  (2) To help to achieve its purpose, this Act—

  • (a) identifies deaths that must be reported to a coroner and the process for reporting and investigating those deaths:

  • (b) recognises both—

    • (i) the cultural and spiritual needs of family of, and of others who were in a close relationship to, a person who has died; and

    • (ii) the public good associated with a proper and timely understanding of the causes and circumstances of deaths:

  • (c) provides for an independent coronial system for investigations of deaths by coroners liaising with other authorities permitted or required by law to investigate those deaths:

  • (d) repeals and replaces the Coroners Act 1988.