Queensland Consolidated Acts Queensland Consolidated Acts(1) This section applies if--
(a) a doctor--
(i) for a stillborn child--
(A) was present at the stillbirth; or
(B) examined the stillborn child's body; or
(ii) for any other deceased person--
(A) attended the deceased person when the person was alive; or
(B) examined the deceased person's body; or
(C) has considered information about the deceased person's medical history and the circumstances of the deceased person's death; and
(b) the doctor is able to form an opinion as to the probable cause of death.
Examples of subsection (1)(a)(ii)(C)--
1 A doctor may consider information about the deceased person's medical history by examining the records of, or speaking to, another doctor who attended the deceased person when the person was alive.
2 A doctor may be able to consider information about the circumstances of the deceased person's death by speaking to someone who was with the deceased when the deceased person died or who discovered the deceased person's body.
(2) Subject to the Coroners Act 2003, section 26(5), the doctor must--
(a) complete a certificate, in the approved form, (cause of death certificate) for the deceased person; and
(b) give the original certificate to the person who is arranging for the disposal of the deceased person's body or to the registrar; and
(c) give a copy of the certificate to the person who is arranging for the disposal of the deceased person's body.
Editor's note--
The Coroners Act 2003, section 26(5), provides that a doctor must not issue a cause of death certificate for a person if--
(a) the death appears to the doctor to be a reportable death, unless a coroner advises the doctor that the death is not a reportable death; or
(b) a coroner is investigating the death, unless the coroner authorises the issue of the certificate.
(3) For subsection (2), a person who is arranging for the disposal of the deceased person's body includes a school of anatomy that is holding the body.
(4) The doctor must comply with subsection (2) within 2 working days of the person's death or when the person's body is found, whichever is the later.
(5) However, a doctor need not comply with subsection (2) if another doctor has complied with subsection (2).
(6) A doctor must not charge a person for a cause of death certificate.
(7) If a doctor reasonably suspects that the doctor, or the doctor's spouse, may receive a benefit because of a person's death, the doctor must not issue a cause of death certificate for the person.
Maximum penalty--120 penalty units.
(8) If the doctor gives the person who is arranging for the disposal of the deceased person's body the original cause of death certificate, the person must give the certificate to the registrar within 14 days after the person has received the certificate.
(9) Despite subsection (4) or (8), the registrar may accept a cause of death certificate given to the registrar at any time.
(10) In this section--
benefit--
(a) includes--
(i) a payment under a life insurance policy; and
(ii) property under a will; and
(iii) property under an intestate distribution; but
(b) does not include fees payable for professional services.
doctor includes a person registered as a medical practitioner under a law of another State or country corresponding to the Medical Practitioners Registration Act 2001.
person includes a stillborn child born after 30 April 1989.