Consent by coroner
20 Consent by coroner
This section applies to a deceased person:
(a) whose death is or may be a reportable death within the meaning of section 12 of the Coroners Act 1993; or
(b) in respect of whom a medical practitioner has not given a certificate as to the cause of death; or
(c) in respect of whose death the Supreme Court has made an order under section 16(3) of the Coroners Act 1993 that an inquest be held.
(2) If a designated officer for a hospital, or the senior available next of kin of the deceased, reasonably believes this section applies to the deceased, the designated officer or next of kin cannot authorise the removal of tissue from the deceased's body unless a coroner has given consent to the removal.
(3) Section 19B does not apply in relation to a deceased person to whom this section applies unless a coroner has given consent to the removal of tissue from the body of the deceased person.
(4) A coroner may give a direction either before or after the death of a person to whom this section applies or may apply, that the coroner's consent to the removal of tissue from the body of the person after the death of the person is not required and, in that event, subsections (2) and (3) do not apply in relation to the removal of tissue from the body of the person.
(5) A consent or direction by a coroner under this section may be expressed to be subject to such conditions as are specified in the consent or the direction.
(6) A consent or direction may be given orally by a coroner and, where so given, must be confirmed in writing.
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