19Obligation to report death

19 Obligation to report death

(1)  A person who has reasonable grounds to believe that a reportable death, other than a reportable death referred to in subsection (4) , has not been reported must report it as soon as possible to a coroner or a police officer.

Penalty:  Fine not exceeding 10 penalty units.

(2)  The coroner or the police officer must inform the Chief Magistrate or, if the Chief Magistrate has delegated relevant functions or powers to another coroner, that coroner, of the reported death as soon as possible.

(3)  If more than one medical practitioner is present at or after a death and one of them reports it to a coroner or police officer, the other medical practitioners need not report the death but must give to the coroner investigating the death any information which may help the investigation.

(4)  [Section 19 Subsection (4) amended by No. 69 of 2013, Sched. 1, Applied:17 Feb 2014] [Section 19 Subsection (4) amended by No. 72 of 2005, s. 76, Applied:20 Feb 2006] [Section 19 Subsection (4) amended by No. 9 of 2003, Sched. 1, Applied:16 Apr 2003] The death of a person–

(a) who was held in custody or held in care immediately before death; or

(b) [Section 19 Subsection (4) amended by No. 49 of 1999, Sched. 1, Applied:01 Feb 2000] [Section 19 Subsection (4) amended by No. 2 of 1998, Sched. 2, Applied:01 Jul 2000] [Section 19 Subsection (4) amended by No. 72 of 2005, s. 76, Applied:20 Feb 2006] who was escaping or attempting to escape from prison, a detention centre, a secure mental health unit, police custody or the custody of a person who had custody under an order of a court for the purposes of taking that person to or from a court; or

(c) [Section 19 Subsection (4) amended by No. 9 of 2003, Sched. 1, Applied:16 Apr 2003] which occurred in the process of a police officer, correctional officer, mental health officer or prescribed person, within the meaning of , attempting to detain that person–