New Zealand Legislation: Acts

31 Coroner may direct post-mortem

• (1) A coroner may direct a pathologist to perform a post-mortem of a body—

  • (a) for the purpose of enabling the coroner to decide whether to open an inquiry into the death concerned; or

  • (b) if the coroner is to open, or has opened and not completed, an inquiry into the death concerned.

  (2) If a coroner proposes to direct a post-mortem under this section, section 33 (right in some cases to object to post-mortem) may apply to that post-mortem and section 34(1)(d) (procedure for objections under section 33) may prohibit the coroner from directing that the post-mortem be performed.

  (3) The pathologist must be a listed pathologist.

  (4) The pathologist must not be a doctor who, to the coroner's knowledge, was a doctor who attended the person concerned immediately before death.

  (5) If, in accordance with section 37, the coroner so directs, the pathologist must perform the post-mortem immediately.

  (6) As soon as practicable after completing the post-mortem, the pathologist must give the coroner a written report on the results of the post-mortem.

  Compare: 1988 No 111 s 7