Australian Capital Territory Current Acts

BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES REGISTRATION ACT 1997 - SECT 35

    (1)     A doctor must give the registrar-general written notice of the death and cause of death of a person within 48 hours after the death if the doctor—

        (a)     was responsible for the deceased person's medical care immediately before the death; or

        (b)     examined the body of the deceased person after the death; or

        (c)     has considered information about the deceased person's medical history and the circumstances of the deceased person's death and is able to form an opinion as to the probable cause of death.

Maximum penalty: 5 penalty units.

Examples––par (c)

              •     examining medical records or speaking to the deceased person's treating doctor

              •     account of someone who was with the deceased person when the person died or who discovered the deceased person's body

Note     If a form is approved under s 69 for a notice, the form must be used.

    (2)     An offence against this section is a strict liability offence.

    (3)     This section does not apply if the doctor believed, on reasonable grounds, that—

        (a)     another doctor had given the required notice; or

        (b)     the death had been reported to a coroner under the Coroners Act 1997

.