New Zealand Legislation: Acts
Acts are laws made by Parliament
(1) For the purpose of performing or exercising a function, power, or duty under this Act, a coroner has the same powers, privileges, authorities, and immunities as a District Court Judge exercising jurisdiction under the Summary Proceedings Act 1957.
(2) Despite subsection (1), a coroner who is not a District Court Judge has, at all times, the same immunities as a Judge of the High Court.
(3) In relation to an inquest held by a coroner for the purposes of an inquiry, the coroner has power to—
(a) issue summonses for the attendance of witnesses:
(b) issue warrants to enforce such summonses:
(c) maintain order:
(d) administer oaths or affirmations to witnesses:
(e) punish for contempt:
(f) adjourn proceedings from time to time and place to place.
(4) Subsection (3) does not limit subsection (1).
(5) The Summary Proceedings Act 1957, so far as it is applicable and with the necessary modifications, applies to the powers, privileges, authorities, and immunities conferred on coroners by this section.
(6) Evidence given by a person (whether at an inquest or otherwise) on oath or affirmation administered by a coroner under this section must, for the purposes of section 108 of the Crimes Act 1961 (which relates to perjury), be treated as having been given as evidence in a judicial proceeding on oath.
(7) Nothing in this section limits any power of a coroner under any other enactment or the application of the Inferior Courts Procedure Act 1909 (which makes further provision for the validity of the judicial proceedings of inferior courts notwithstanding technical or formal errors) in respect of the exercise by a coroner of any judicial authority conferred on the coroner by this Act.
