Coroners Act 2006

Inquiries into causes and circumstances of deaths - Inquiries

59: Jurisdiction of coroners to open inquiries

You could also call this:

"When can a coroner investigate a death in New Zealand?"

A coroner can open an inquiry into a death if it happened in the last 100 years. You can have an inquiry if the body is in New Zealand. The coroner can also open an inquiry if they think the person is dead, but their body is destroyed or lost. The coroner can open an inquiry if the death happened on a New Zealand aircraft, as defined in section 5 of the Civil Aviation Act 2023, or on a New Zealand ship, as defined in section 2(1) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994. The coroner can also open an inquiry if the death happened on an aircraft or ship of the Armed Forces, as defined in section 2(1) of the Defence Act 1990. You can have an inquiry if the death happened outside New Zealand on an aircraft or ship and the Solicitor-General says it is okay. This is subject to section 59A, but some parts override this section.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM377595.

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

Topics:

Crime and justice > Police and safetyCrime and justice > Victim supportHealth and wellbeing > Public health

58: Adverse comments by coroners, or

"Coroners must follow rules when making negative comments about people or groups"

59A: Limits on coroners’ jurisdiction to open inquiries, or

"When a coroner can and can't investigate deaths that happened overseas or during military service"

Part 3Inquiries into causes and circumstances of deaths
Inquiries

59Jurisdiction of coroners to open inquiries

The responsible coroner in relation to a death may open an inquiry into the death if the death occurred, or is likely to have occurred, within the last 100 years and—
the body of the person concerned is in New Zealand; or
the coroner is satisfied that it is likely that the person concerned is dead and that—
1. the person's body is destroyed, irrecoverable, or lost; and
2. the person was in New Zealand immediately before the person’s death; or
the body of the person concerned is not in New Zealand, or is destroyed, irrecoverable, or lost, and—
1. the death occurred on or from—
  1. a New Zealand registered aircraft (as defined in section 5 of the Civil Aviation Act 2023); or
  2. a New Zealand ship (as defined in section 2(1) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994); or
  3. an aircraft or a ship of the Armed Forces (as defined in section 2(1) of the Defence Act 1990); or
2. the death occurred outside New Zealand on or from an aircraft or a ship (other than an aircraft or ship referred to in subparagraph (i)) and the Solicitor-General has authorised the coroner to open an inquiry into the death.

This section is subject to section 59A, except that subsection (1)(c)(ii) overrides section 59A(1).

Notes

Section 59: replaced, on 21 July 2016, by section 38 of the Coroners Amendment Act 2016 (2016 No 29).
Section 59(1)(c)(i)(A): amended, on 5 April 2025, by section 486 of the Civil Aviation Act 2023 (2023 No 10).