Queensland Consolidated Acts

POLICE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACT 2000 - SECT 596

596 Entry of place on suspicion of death or injury

(1) This section applies if a police officer reasonably suspects someone in a place is dead or in need of urgent medical treatment.

Example—

A police officer may form a reasonable suspicion because of a person’s concerns about an elderly neighbour who has not been seen for several days and whose absence can not otherwise be explained.

(2) The police officer may enter the place to find out whether someone in the place is dead or in need of urgent medical treatment.

(3) If a person at the place is found dead or in need of urgent medical treatment, the police officer may remain at the place for only as long as is necessary to ensure that anything necessary to be done for the person is done.

Examples for subsection (3)—

1 It may be necessary for a body to be taken to a mortuary.

2 It may be necessary for an ambulance to be called to take a person to hospital.

3 It may be necessary for a police photographer to photograph a body or other thing that may help a coroner establish the cause of death of the person.

4 It may be necessary to take steps to secure the premises.