40Removal of tissue and preserving material

40 Removal of tissue and preserving material

(1) This Rule applies to tissue that is—

(a) a visibly recognisable, functional unit of the body such as the liver, heart or brain;

(b) a whole or substantial part of a visibly recognisable, functional unit of the body or other body parts; or

(c) a whole or substantial part of a foetus regardless of the gestation period.

(2) For the purposes of section 28(2) of the Act, a medical investigator must advise the coroner if the removal and preservation of tissue or other material is necessary because it appears to bear on the cause or circumstances of the death or the identity of the deceased person.

(3) The advice provided to a coroner under paragraph (2) by a medical investigator must be in Form 12.

(4) A direction to a medical investigator made by a coroner under section 28(2) of the Act, after the coroner has received advice from a medical investigator in accordance with this Rule—

(a) must be in Form 13;

(b) must specify for how long any tissue or other material may be preserved; and

(c) may specify different lengths of time depending on the tissue or material and the reasons for its removal.