Coroners Act 2003

This section applies if—

before 1 December 2003—

during an autopsy of a body, tissue was removed from the body for testing; and

the tissue was turned into specimen tissue; or

on or after 1 December 2003 and before the commencement of this section—

during an autopsy of a body under the repealed Coroners Act 1958 as applied under former section 100, tissue was removed from the body for testing; and

the tissue was turned into specimen tissue.

To remove any doubt, it is declared that section 24(7) does not apply, and never has applied, in relation to the specimen tissue.

Subsection (4) applies if—

an inquest into the death of a person is reopened under section 100B or section 50 or 50A as applied under section 100C; and

before the inquest is reopened, tissue has been removed from the person’s body and turned into specimen tissue; and

immediately before the inquest is reopened, the specimen tissue is still being kept.

Despite subsection (2), section 24(7) applies in relation to the specimen tissue.

In this section—autopsy includes a post-mortem examination under the repealed Coroners Act 1958 or that Act as applied under former section 100.specimen tissue see the Transplantation and Anatomy Act 1979, section 29(8).