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Coroners Act 2006

Inquiries into causes and circumstances of deaths - Inquests

83: Specialist advisers to sit with and help coroners

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"Coroners can get help from specialist advisers during an inquest"

Illustration for Coroners Act 2006

You can get help from a specialist adviser when a coroner is holding an inquest. The chief coroner can appoint a specialist adviser if a coroner recommends it. The coroner must think about any relevant practice notes issued under section 132 before making the recommendation. You might wonder what the specialist adviser does. The specialist adviser gives advice to the coroner on any questions they are asked. The coroner can tell the specialist adviser how to give the advice. The specialist adviser's job ends when the coroner closes the inquiry under section 65A or completes and signs a certificate of findings. The coroner decides how much weight to give the specialist adviser's advice. The coroner can choose to follow the advice or not.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM377826.

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Topics:
Crime and justice > Courts and legal help
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82: Inquests usually to be before coroner alone, or

"Inquests are usually heard by a coroner alone, without a jury."

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84: Joint inquests, or

"When a coroner looks into two or more deaths from the same incident, they can hold one inquest for all of them."

Part 3Inquiries into causes and circumstances of deaths
Inquests

83Specialist advisers to sit with and help coroners

  1. If satisfied that it is desirable to do so, the chief coroner may, on the recommendation of a coroner, appoint a cultural, legal, medical, or other specialist adviser to sit with and help the coroner at an inquest by giving advice.

  2. The coroner's recommendation that a specialist adviser be appointed must be made after having regard to any relevant practice notes issued under section 132 by the chief coroner.

  3. The specialist adviser must give the advice—

  4. on any questions referred to the specialist adviser; and
    1. in any manner the coroner may direct.

      1. The appointment of a specialist adviser ends when—

      2. the coroner conducting the inquiry concerned closes the inquiry under section 65A; or
        1. the coroner conducting the inquiry concerned completes and signs a certificate of findings in relation to the death concerned.

          1. Advice given by a specialist adviser may be given any weight the coroner thinks fit.

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          Notes
          • Section 83(4): replaced, on , by section 21 of the Judicature (Timeliness) Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (2025 No 85).