(1)  The Secretary of the Department may appoint State Service officers and State Service employees employed in the Department to be coroner's associates and those persons hold office in conjunction with State Service employment.

(2)  The Chief Magistrate may, with the approval of the Secretary of the responsible Department in relation to the Police Service Act 2003 , appoint police officers to be coroner's associates.

(3)  A clerk of petty sessions and a deputy clerk of petty sessions may perform the functions and exercise the powers of a coroner's associate.

(4)  A coroner's associate may–

(a) on behalf of a coroner, receive information about a death, a fire or an explosion; and

(b) administer an oath or affirmation or take an affidavit; and

(c) issue a summons requiring a witness to attend an inquest to give oral evidence or to produce documents or other materials.