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Coroners Act 1997
58Procedure where evidence of indictable offence or
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58 Procedure where evidence of indictable offence or
indictment to be presented
(1) Subsection (3) applies if, during an inquest or inquiry, a coroner has
reasonable grounds for believing that, having regard to the evidence
given at the inquest or inquiry, a person mentioned at the inquest or
inquiry has committed an indictable offence.
(2) For subsection (1), the coroner must have regard to—
(a) the admissibility at trial of the evidence given at the inquest or
(b) whether the director of public prosecutions, or a person who
may be affected by the referral to the director of public
prosecutions of evidence relevant to the alleged offence, is, or
has been, given the opportunity to present or give evidence in
connection with the alleged offence.
(3) The coroner—
(a) must, by written notice, tell the director of public prosecutions
about the coroner’s belief; and
(b) for a related indictable offence—must not proceed further with
the inquest or inquiry until the day worked out under
section 58A, other than to establish the following facts:
(i) for an inquest—the death of a person, the person’s identity
and the date and place of the person’s death;
(ii) for an inquiry—the date and place of a fire or disaster.
(4) Subsection (5) applies if, during an inquest or inquiry—
(a) the director of public prosecutions, by written notice, tells the
coroner holding the inquest or inquiry that an indictment will be
presented against a person for a related indictable offence in
relation to—
(i) the death of a person who is the subject of the inquest; or
(ii) the matter the subject of the inquiry; or
(b) the Attorney-General presents an indictment against the person
for a related indictable offence.
Note Indictment includes information, and present an indictment
includes lay an information (see Legislation Act, dict, pt 1).
(5) The coroner must not proceed further with the inquest or inquiry until
the day worked out under section 58A unless the coroner limits the
inquest or inquiry to establishing only the facts mentioned in
subsection (3) (b) (i) or (ii).
(6) A coroner must not continue holding an inquest or inquiry if satisfied
that the inquest or inquiry should not be continued.
(7) In this section:
related indictable offence, in relation to an inquest or inquiry, means
an indictable offence that raises the issue of whether a person caused
a death, suspected death, fire or disaster the subject of the inquest or
Indictable offences Division 5.5