Australian Capital Territory Current Acts Australian Capital Territory Current Acts(1) A coroner may issue a warrant for—
(a) the exhumation for post-mortem examination of a body that has been buried; or
(b) if the body of the deceased has been cremated—the recovery of the ashes;
if the coroner is satisfied that—
(c) there is reasonable cause to believe that the person died in circumstances in relation to which the coroner has jurisdiction to hold an inquest; and
(d) a post-mortem examination of the body or an analysis of the ashes of the deceased should be made.
(2) If—
(a) the body of a deceased person has been buried or cremated and the inquest concerning the death of that person has not been completed; or
(b) the Supreme Court has quashed an inquest and has directed that a fresh inquest be held;
a coroner may, if of the opinion that—
(c) a post-mortem examination or a more complete post-mortem examination should be made of the body; or
(d) an analysis or more complete analysis should be made of the ashes of the deceased;
issue a warrant for the exhumation of the body or, if practicable, for the recovery of the ashes for the post-mortem examination or analysis or the more complete post-mortem examination or analysis.
(3) Where—
(a) the body of a person who died outside the ACT has been buried in the ACT or the ashes of a person who so died are in the ACT; and
(b) a coroner having jurisdiction in the place where the person died informs a coroner that—
(i) an inquest is to be, or is being, held into the cause of the death of the person; and
(ii) it is desirable that a post-mortem examination or a more complete post-mortem examination should be made of the body or an analysis or more complete analysis be made of the ashes;
the coroner may issue a warrant for the exhumation of the body or for the recovery of the ashes of the deceased for a post-mortem examination or a more complete post-mortem examination or an analysis or more complete analysis of the ashes.