Coroners Act 1962
Number 9 of 1962
CORONERS ACT 1962
REVISED
Updated to 22 July 2022
This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Coroners Act 1962. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.
All Acts up to and including the Protected Disclosures (Amendment) Act 2022 (27/2022), enacted 21 July 2022, and all statutory instruments up to and including the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Parts 1, 4, 5 and 8) (Commencement) Order 2022 (S.I. No. 370 of 2022), made 21 July 2022, were considered in the preparation of this Revised Act.
Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to
revisedacts@lawreform.ie.
Number 9 of 1962.
CORONERS ACT 1962
REVISED
Updated to 22 July 2022
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Preliminary and General
Section |
|
Coroners and Coroners' Districts
Review of salary. (Repealed) |
|
Assignment and appointment of temporary coroner in exceptional circumstances. |
|
Arrangements for coroners’ districts other than coroner’s district of Dublin. |
|
Reporting of deaths
Inquests
Juries at Inquests
Liability to serve on coroner's jury. (Repealed) |
|
Miscellaneous
Enactments Repealed
Deaths Reportable to Coroner
Acts Referred to |
|
1926, No. 39 |
|
Public Offices (Fees) Act, 1879 |
1879, c. 58 |
1926, No. 39 |
|
Deaths Registration Act (Ireland), 1880 |
1880, c. 13 |
1927, No. 23 |
|
1947, No. 28 |
Number 9 of 1962.
CORONERS ACT 1962
REVISED
Updated to 22 July 2022
AN ACT TO AMEND AND CONSOLIDATE THE LAW RELATING TO CORONERS AND TO CORONERS' INQUESTS. [11th April, 1962.]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:—
Annotations
Modifications (not altering text):
C1
Power of coroner to authorise disposal of bodies in certain circumstances provided (5.12.2005) by Civil Registration Act 2004 (3/2004), s. 44, S.I. No. 764 of 2005.
Power of coroner to authorise disposal of bodies.
44.—(1) A coroner may—
(a) when he or she has held an inquest on a body, but, subject to paragraph (b), in no other circumstances, if he or she thinks fit, by order authorise—
(i) a relative of the deceased person, or any other person, who proposes to cause the body to be disposed of, or
(ii) the undertaker, or any other person, who is in charge of the funeral of the deceased person, to dispose of the body before the registration of the death, and
(b) authorise the disposal of a body, whether it is lying for the time being in or outside his or her district, irrespective of whether he or she has decided that it is, or will become, necessary to hold an inquest on it.
(2) In subsection (1), “disposal”, in relation to a body, means disposal by burial, cremation or any other means and cognate words shall be construed accordingly.
C2
Application of Act restricted (1.01.1994) by Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993 (31/1993), s. 23(1), S.I. No. 400 of 1993.
Coroners.
23.—(1) The area comprised in the coroners district of the county, as existing immediately before the establishment day, shall on and from that day and notwithstanding any provision of this Act or of the Coroners Act, 1962, continue to constitute a coroners district.
...
Editorial Notes:
E1
Provision for disclosure of confidential information for report under collectively cited Coroners Acts made (21.04.2018) by European Union (Personal Protective Equipment) Regulations 2018 (S.I. No. 136 of 2018), reg. 51(2)(d)(i), in effect as per reg. 1(2).
E2
Provision for disclosure of confidential information for report under collectively cited Coroners Acts made (26.05.2017) by European Union (Pressure Equipment) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 233 of 2017), reg. 54(c)(i).
E3
Provision for disclosure of confidential information for report under collectively cited Coroners Acts made (26.05.2017) by European Union (Lifts and Safety Components for Lifts) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 232 of 2017), reg. 53(c)(i), in effect as per reg. 1(2), (3).
E4
Provision for disclosure of confidential information for report under collectively cited Coroners Acts made (26.05.2017) by European Union (Equipment and Protective Systems Intended for Use in Potentially Explosive Atmospheres) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 230 of 2017), reg. 50(c)(i).
E5
Provision for disclosure of confidential information for inquest under Act made (20.11.2015) by Criminal Justice (Forensic Evidence and DNA Database System) Act 2014 (11/2014), s. 159(1)(2), S.I. No. 508 of 2015.
E6
Provision for disclosure of confidential information for report under collectively cited Coroners Acts made (20.07.2011) by European Communities (Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road and Use of Transportable Pressure Equipment) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 349 of 2011), reg. 22(2)(c)(i).
E7
Provision for disclosure of confidential information for report under collectively cited Coroners Acts made (20.07.2011) by European Communities (Safety of Toys) Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 14 of 2011), reg. 47(c)(i), in effect as per reg. 2(1).
E8
Provision for disclosure of confidential information for report under collectively cited Coroners Acts made (29.12.2009) by European Communities (Machinery) Regulations 2008 (S.I. No. 407 of 2008), reg. 42(c)(i), in effect as per reg. 2(1).
E9
Provision for disclosure of confidential information for report under collectively cited Coroners Acts made (15.07.2008) by Chemicals Act 2008 (13/2008), s. 28(2)(c)(i), S.I. No. 273 of 2008.
E10
Arrangements for inquest in the event of a railway incident and role of coroner provided (18.12.2005) by Railway Safety Act 2005 (31/2005), s. 67, commenced on enactment.
E11
Provision for disclosure of confidential information for report under Act (1.09.2005) made by Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 (10/2005), s. 73(2)(c), S.I. No. 328 of 2005.
E12
Previous affecting provision: application of Act restricted (21.12.2000) by European Communities (Control of Major Accident Hazards Involving Dangerous Substances) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 476 of 2000), reg. 26(1), commenced on enactment; revoked (15.02.2006) by European Communities (Control of Major Accident Hazards Involving Dangerous Substances) Regulations 2006 (S.I. No. 74 of 2006), reg. 7(1).
E13
Previous affecting provision: application of Act restricted (1.09.1986) by European Communities (Major Accident Hazards of Certain Industrial Activities) Regulations 1986 (S.I. No. 292 of 1986), reg. 25(1), in effect as per reg. 2; revoked (21.12.2000) by European Communities (Control of Major Accident Hazards Involving Dangerous Substances) Regulations 2000 (S.I. No. 476 of 2000), reg. 7(1)(a).