Queensland Consolidated Acts

POLICE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ACT 2000 - SECT 597

597 Powers for reportable deaths

(1) This section applies if—

(a) a police officer attends a place where there is the body of a deceased person; and

(b) the officer reasonably believes the person’s death is a death that must, under the Coroners Act 2003 , be reported to a coroner.

(2) The officer may arrange for the person’s body to be taken to a mortuary where autopsies ordered by coroners are conducted.

Note—

See the Coroners Act 2003 , section 18 (2) (a) for the power of a police officer to give directions to a person taking the body to a mortuary.

(3) The officer may take reasonable steps to restrict entry to the place for as long as is necessary to arrange for the person’s body to be taken to the mortuary.

(4) The officer may search for and seize anything at the place that the officer reasonably suspects may be relevant to an investigation of the death by a coroner.

(5) However, a police officer may not search the place under subsection (4) if the police officer reasonably believes the death was from natural causes.

(6) The officer may photograph the body, or anything else at the place that the officer reasonably suspects may be relevant to an investigation of the death by a coroner.

(7) The officer may stay on the place and re-enter it for the time reasonably necessary to do something permitted under this section.