New Zealand Legislation: Acts

18 When police have exclusive right to custody of body

• (1) The New Zealand Police has an exclusive right to custody of the body concerned—

  • (a) from the time when a member of the police first suspects on reasonable grounds that a death to which section 13 applies may have occurred; and

  • (b) until the death is reported to the designated coroner under section 15(2)(a) or section 16(2)(b) and the designated coroner therefore has, under section 19, an exclusive right to custody of the body.

  (2) Despite subsection (1)(b), the New Zealand Police must ensure the death is reported to the designated coroner under section 15(2)(a) or section 16(2)(b) as soon as practicable.

  (3) Nothing in this section affects when that exclusive right can be and is exercised by or on behalf of the New Zealand Police, or prevents the New Zealand Police from exercising on behalf of the designated coroner his or her right under section 19.