Section 2 (1) (c) and (d) BEFORE amended by 2014-14-135, effective May 29, 2014 (Royal Assent).
(c) suddenly and unexpectedly, when the person was apparently in good health and not under the care of a medical practitioner,
(d) from disease, sickness or unknown cause, for which the person was not treated by a medical practitioner,
Section 3 (2) (b) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-115, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(b) as a result, directly or indirectly, of an act of a peace officer performed in the course of his or her duty.
Section 8 BEFORE amended by 2023-10-116, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
Coroner may investigate deaths outside British Columbia
8 If a death occurred outside British Columbia but the circumstances related to the death
(a) have a substantial connection to British Columbia, and
(b) are such that, had the death occurred in British Columbia, it would have had to be reported under Part 2,
a coroner may, in his or her discretion but subject to any direction of the chief coroner, investigate the death.
Section 11 (1) (c) (iii) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-117, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(iii) where the deceased person was, or where the coroner has reason to believe the deceased person was, within a reasonable time before his or her death;
Section 13 (6) (a) and (b) BEFORE amended by 2015-6-16, effective March 25, 2015 (Royal Assent).
(a) may keep all or part of a body until the examination or analysis is complete, and
(b) must not dispose of any part of the body without approval from the coroner.
Section 13 (3) and (4) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-118, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(3) A person who performs a post-mortem examination must promptly report his or her findings in writing to the coroner who authorized the post-mortem examination.
(4) A person who performs any examination or analysis under or (c) must promptly report his or her findings in writing to the coroner who authorized the examination or analysis and to the person who performed the post-mortem examination.
Section 16 (1) (b) BEFORE amended by 2010-3-30(a), effective March 31, 2010 (Royal Assent).
(b) recommending that an inquest be held for a reason set out in section 18 [direction to hold inquest].
Section 16 (2) BEFORE amended by 2010-3-30(b), effective March 31, 2010 (Royal Assent).
(2) A recommendation under subsection (1) (b) may include a recommendation that a single inquest be held in respect of multiple deaths.
Section 18 (2) BEFORE amended by 2010-3-31, effective March 31, 2010 (Royal Assent).
(2) The chief coroner must direct a coroner to hold an inquest if the deceased person died in any of the circumstances described in section 3 (2) (a) [deaths while in the custody of peace officers].
Section 21 (2) BEFORE amended by RS2019-1-RevSch 2, effective April 6, 2020 (BC Reg 207/2019).
(2) If the inquest is into the death of a worker to whom Part 1 of the Workers Compensation Act [Compensation to Workers and Dependants] applies, and the death arose out of the worker's work, a coroner must, before holding an inquest, give notice of the time and place at which the inquest is to be held to
(a) a representative of the worker's employer, and
(b) a representative of any trade union certified as the bargaining agent for the worker.
Section 22 (4) BEFORE amended by RS2019-1-RevSch 2, effective April 6, 2020 (BC Reg 207/2019).
(4) If the inquest is into the death of a worker to whom Part 1 of the Workers Compensation Act applies, and the death arose out of the worker's work, reasonable effort must be made to ensure that all or part of the jury summoned is composed of persons familiar with the type of work the deceased was doing.
Section 23 (1) BEFORE amended by 2012-6-3, effective March 29, 2012 (Royal Assent).
(1) A person summoned as a juror under section 22 is entitled to be paid for service, and, for this purpose, sections 24 to 29 of the Jury Act apply.
Section 23 (1) BEFORE amended by 2017-10-9, effective November 2, 2017 (Royal Assent).
(1) A person summoned as a juror under section 22 is entitled to be paid for service, and, for this purpose, sections 24, 25 and 29 of the Jury Act apply.
Section 26 (1) (b) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-116, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(b) in his or her discretion, provide copies of those records to one or more participants.
Section 28 (1) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-119, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(1) At an inquest, a coroner may make orders or give directions that he or she considers necessary for the maintenance of order at an inquest, and, if any person disobeys or fails to comply with any order, the coroner may call on the assistance of a peace officer to enforce the order.
Section 34 (1) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-119, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(1) Subject to subsections (3) and (4), a coroner may receive and admit as evidence information that he or she considers relevant, necessary and appropriate, whether or not the information would be admissible in a court of law, and may comment on the weight that ought to be given to any particular evidence.
Section 45 (1) (a) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-120, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(a) whom the coroner has attended, in his or her professional capacity as a medical practitioner, at any time within one year immediately before the death,
Section 46 (3) (b) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-120, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(b) may, in his or her discretion, continue the investigation or inquest or begin a new investigation or inquest.
Section 51 (2) and (4) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-121, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(2) A member of the child death review unit or a death review panel may base his or her report on an aggregate and multidisciplinary analysis of the deaths reviewed.
(4) A member of the child death review unit or a death review panel must not, in his or her report, make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law.
Section 52 (5) (a) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-122, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(a) when the chief coroner or the deputy chief coroner resumes his or her duties;
Section 56 (3) and (4) BEFORE amended by 2023-10-123, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
(3) A regional coroner has, subject to the direction of the chief coroner,
(a) general supervision of the coroners in the region for which he or she is designated, and
(b) other powers and duties as may be determined by the chief coroner.
(4) A regional coroner may act as the regional coroner in a region for which he or she is not designated at the request of the regional coroner designated for that region or the chief coroner.
Section 71 BEFORE amended by 2023-10-124, effective March 30, 2023 (Royal Assent).
Obstruction of coroner or reviewer
71 A person must not
(a) knowingly hinder, obstruct or interfere with, or attempt to hinder, obstruct or interfere with,
(b) supply false information to, or
(c) refuse or neglect to supply information to
a coroner or member of the child death review unit or a death review panel in the performance of his or her duties, or a person acting under the direction of any of these.