25Procedure at inquest where person charged with an offence

25 Procedure at inquest where person charged with an offence

(1)  If on an inquest relating to a death, a fire or an explosion the coroner is informed, before making a finding, that a person has been charged before justices with any of the offences specified in subsection (2) , the coroner –

(a) must, in the absence of reason to the contrary, adjourn the inquest until after the conclusion of the proceedings with respect to any of those offences; and

(b) must inform the Attorney-General in writing of the inquest and its adjournment.

(2)  The offences referred to in subsection (1) are –

(a) murder of the deceased; or

(b) manslaughter of the deceased; or

(c) infanticide of the deceased; or

(d) causing grievous bodily harm of the deceased; or

(e) causing the death of the deceased by dangerous driving; or

(ea) [Section 25 Subsection (2) amended by No. 35 of 2017, s. 8, Applied:19 Sep 2017] dangerous driving where the driving caused an accident that resulted in the death of the deceased; or

(f) an offence under section 32 (1) of the Traffic Act 1925 arising out of an accident that resulted in the death of the deceased; or

(g) arson in relation to the fire; or

(h) unlawfully causing the fire; or

(i) unlawfully causing the explosion.

(3)  After the conclusion of the criminal proceedings the coroner may, subject to subsection (4) , resume the adjourned inquest if the coroner is of the opinion that there is sufficient cause to do so.

(4)  If in the course of the criminal proceedings a person has been charged on indictment, the inquest, on its resumption, must not contain any finding which is inconsistent with the determination of the matter by the result of those proceedings.