Sudden Death
If a doctor is unable to
determine the cause of death and issue the associated legal
documentation, the death will need to be reported to the
Coroner.
The Coroner is a legal officer appointed under the Coroners Act
who has the duty to establish the cause of death in certain
circumstances. In New Zealand, a death is reported to the Coroner
by contacting the Police, who act as the "Coroner's Agent".
The Coroner may become involved when:
- a doctor is unavailable or unable to establish the cause of
death
- there has been no recent consultation with a medical
practitioner
- there is a sudden unexpected death
- death occurs from other than natural causes
- there is an accidental death
When a sudden death occurs, the police will be called to the
scene and will take the lead in managing the situation, to begin
initial enquires and arrange for the transfer of the deceased to
the nearest Coroner's Mortuary (usually located at a public
hospital) for a post mortem examination. The transfer to the
mortuary is usually conducted by a duty funeral director who is
contracted to the police. It is important to note that you are not
obliged to use the duty funeral director to conduct the
funeral.
The Police will also ensure that the next of kin is notified and
has support. Victim Support, may also offer to help you. They are a
community based organisation and are a good source of information
about other community groups or agencies that can be of
assistance.
When a death is reported to the Coroner, it is the Coroner's
role to establish the identity of the deceased and the cause of
death. In most instances, this will be done by instructing a
pathologist (a medical specialist) to examine the body. This
procedure is called a post mortem examination or autopsy.
Post mortem
The post mortem is an
external and internal examination of the body. There are some
people who, for cultural or spiritual reasons, may be opposed to a
post mortem being conducted. In such cases, the Corner has an
obligation to consider this opposition before authorising this
procedure to be conducted.
In deciding whether or not to conduct a post mortem, the Coroner
will take into account the likelihood that the post mortem will
reveal information about how, where and when the person died, or
about the deceased's identity, whether the death may have been
caused by the actions of other people, or anything suspicious about
the death.
Once the post mortem has been completed and the Coroner has
established the cause of death, the body will become available to
be released for the funeral. In most instances, the Coroner will
only require the body for a period of approximately 24 hours.
Therefore, it is important for you to contact the funeral director
you wish to take care of funeral arrangements as they will arrange
the release of the body from the coroner.
Additionally, a Coroner may decide to hold an inquest into the
death. An inquest is a formal hearing in a court of law. This is
done to establish all circumstances relevant to the death. The
inquest often happens months after the funeral has taken place.
The role of the Coroner is important in establishing the cause
of death and has particular relevance in light of Accident
Compensation Corporation (ACC) obligations in regard to accidental
deaths, and assistance available to those affected by an accidental
death.