New Zealand Legislation: Acts

13 Deaths that must be reported under section 14(2)

• (1) This section applies to the following deaths if, and only if, they are deaths to which subsection (2) applies:

  • Without known cause, suicide, or unnatural or violent

  • (a) every death that appears to have been without known cause, or suicide, or unnatural or violent:

  • For which no doctor's certificate given

  • (b) every death in respect of which no doctor has given a doctor's certificate (as defined in section 2(1) of the Burial and Cremation Act 1964):

  • During medical, surgical, or dental operation, treatment, etc

  • (c) every death—

    • (i) that occurred while the person concerned was undergoing a medical, surgical, dental, or similar operation or procedure; or

    • (ii) that appears to have been the result of an operation or procedure of that kind; or

    • (iii) that appears to have been the result of medical, surgical, dental, or similar treatment received by that person; or

    • (iv) that occurred while that person was affected by an anaesthetic; or

    • (v) that appears to have been the result of the administration to that person of an anaesthetic or a medicine (as defined in section 3 of the Medicines Act 1981):

  • (d) any death that occurred while the woman concerned was giving birth, or that appears to have been a result of that woman being pregnant or giving birth:

  • In official custody or care

  • (e) the death of a patient required to be detained in an institution pursuant to an order under section 9 of the Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Act 1966:

  • (f) the death of a child or young person the chief executive has, under section 365 of the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989, placed in a residence established under section 364 of that Act:

  • (g) the death of a child or young person while that child or young person—

    • (i) is in the custody or care of an Iwi Social Service or a Cultural Social Service, or the Director of a Child and Family Support Service, pursuant to section 43 or 78 or 110 or 139 or 140 or 141 or 234 or 238 or 345 of the Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act 1989; or

    • (ii) is in the charge of any person or organisation pursuant to section 362 of that Act:

  • (h) the death of any patient as defined in section 2(1) of the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992:

  • (i) the death of any proposed care recipient or care recipient as defined in section 5(1) of the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003:

  • (j) the death of a prisoner as defined in section 3(1) of the Corrections Act 2004:

  • (k) the death of a person in the custody of the New Zealand Police:

  • (l) the death of a person under the control of a security officer as defined in section 3(1) of the Corrections Act 2004.

  (2) This subsection applies only to deaths that occurred in New Zealand or that are deaths on or from—

  • (a) an aircraft registered in New Zealand under the Civil Aviation Act 1990; or

  • (b) a New Zealand ship (as defined in section 2(1) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994); or

  • (c) an aircraft or ship of the Armed Forces (as defined in section 2(1) of the Armed Forces Discipline Act 1971).

  (3) Subsection (1)(e) and (f) and (h) to (j) apply to a death whether or not it occurred in the institution, residence, hospital, facility, or prison concerned.

  Compare: 1988 No 111 ss 4, 5(2)

  Section 13(1)(b): amended, on 24 January 2009, by section 47 of the Births, Deaths, Marriages, and Relationships Registration Amendment Act 2008 (2008 No 48).