Forensic Procedures Act 2000

Police officers may be present during the carrying out of a forensic procedure for the purposes of safety, security, continuity of evidence, investigation and the effective carrying out of the procedure in accordance with this Act.

The number of police officers that may be present during the carrying out of a forensic procedure must not exceed that which is reasonably necessary for the purposes specified in subsection (1).

A police officer who is of the opposite sex to that of the person undergoing the forensic procedure may only be present during the carrying out of the procedure if – it would not be reasonably practicable to carry out the procedure without the presence of the police officer; and at the time the forensic procedure must be carried out, there is no police officer of the same sex as the person available to be present instead of the police officer of the opposite sex.

Subsections (2) and (3) do not apply to any non-intimate forensic procedure that may be carried out without requiring the person undergoing the procedure to remove any clothing except his or her overcoat, coat, jacket, gloves, socks, shoes and hat.