Coroners (Amendment) Bill

The Coroners (Amendment) Bill aims to amend the Coroners Act regarding the handling of deceased bodies and allow for greater efficiency in the coronial process. The bill removes the requirement for a Coroner to view a body after a death is reported. It introduces a provision allowing the Minister to issue a certificate for the release of a body to a foreign State under specific conditions. The bill amends the Infectious Diseases Act to facilitate the release of bodies without requiring evidence of the date and cause of death if a Minister’s certificate has been issued. Any investigation or inquiry into a death must cease once a Minister's certificate is issued, but may resume if the certificate is revoked.