Northern Territory Consolidated Acts Northern Territory Consolidated Acts20. Consent by a coroner
(1) This section applies to a deceased person -
(a) whose death is or may be a reportable death within the meaning of section 12 of the Coroners Act ;
(b) in respect of whom a medical practitioner has not given a certificate as to the cause of death; or
(c) in respect of whose death the Supreme Court has made an order under section 16(3) of the Coroners Act that an inquest be held.
(2) Where the person in charge of a hospital or, in a case to which section 19 applies, the senior available next of kin, has reason to believe that this section applies to a deceased person, that person in charge of the hospital or that senior available next of kin, as the case may be, shall not authorize the removal of tissue from the body of the deceased person unless a coroner has given his consent to the removal.
(3) Section 19(3) does not apply in relation to a deceased person to whom this section applies unless a coroner has given his consent to the removal of tissue from the body of the deceased person.
(4) A coroner may give a direction either before or after the death of a person to whom this section applies or may apply, that the coroner's consent to the removal of tissue from the body of the person after the death of the person is not required and, in that event, subsections (2) and (3) do not apply to or in relation to the removal of tissue from the body of the person.
(5) A consent or direction by a coroner under this section may be expressed to be subject to such conditions as are specified in the consent or the direction.
(6) A consent or direction may be given orally by a coroner and, where so given, shall be confirmed in writing.