Coroners Act 2006

Deaths to be reported and post-mortems - Reporting of deaths

16: Responsible coroner

You could also call this:

"The coroner in charge of handling a death is called the responsible coroner."

When a death is reported, a coroner is in charge of handling it. You need to know that this coroner is called the responsible coroner. The responsible coroner must do every part of their job when it comes to a death. Sometimes, another coroner, called a duty coroner, can do the responsible coroner's job if needed. A duty coroner is a coroner who is chosen by the chief coroner to do a job that the responsible coroner would normally do, but the duty coroner is available to do it right away. The duty coroner can make decisions, like choosing not to investigate a death. The chief coroner picks the duty coroner to do jobs that the responsible coroner would usually do, but the duty coroner can do them because they are available at that time. You can find more information about the changes to this law in the Coroners Amendment Act 2016 and the Coroners Amendment Act 2023.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM377535.

This page was last updated on 12 December 2025 — View changes

Topics:

Crime and justice > Victim supportHealth and wellbeing > Public health

15: Reporting of deaths to coroner by Police, or

"Police Must Tell Coroner About Deaths"

17: Investigations by police, or

"Police help coroners find out what happened when someone dies"

Part 2Deaths to be reported and post-mortems
Reporting of deaths

16Responsible coroner

The responsible coroner must perform every part of the coroner's role in relation to a death.
However, a duty coroner may from time to time perform or exercise the functions, powers, and duties of the responsible coroner, including (without limitation) deciding not to open an inquiry into a death.
In this section, duty coroner means a coroner who is, for the time being, authorised by the chief coroner to perform or exercise any function, duty, or power that—
would ordinarily be performed or exercised by a responsible coroner; but
in the circumstances, is more appropriately performed or exercised by a coroner who is immediately available.

Notes

Section 16: replaced, on 21 July 2016, by section 12 of the Coroners Amendment Act 2016 (2016 No 29).
Section 16(2): replaced, on 5 April 2023, by section 5 of the Coroners Amendment Act 2023 (2023 No 8).