Public Feedback Sought on Coroners Bill

09 JUL 2009

9 Jul 2009 Posted in Press releases

  1. The Ministry of Law is proposing to enact a Coroners Bill on death reporting, investigation and Coroner’s Inquiries. The proposal for a dedicated Bill on coronial matters arose out of the review of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), where the provisions on Coroner’s Inquiries are currently found.
  1. Broadly, the proposed Bill makes three key changes to the current system:
    1. The Coroners Inquiry will become a fact-finding inquiry. Currently, the Coroners Inquiry is a quasi-criminal one, where the Coroner is required not only to inquire into the facts and circumstances behind a death but to also identify if any person is criminally responsible for the death.
    2. It will facilitate more effective investigation into deaths where medical treatment or care is the suspected cause.
    3. The draft Bill will define the Coroner's jurisdiction and extend it in certain specific cases.
  1. The aim of these proposals is to update our coronial system and more clearly define its role so that it can better serve the public interest.
  1. The Ministry invites interested parties to provide their feedback on the draft Coroners Bill. The consultation period begins on 10 July 2009 and ends on 7 August 2009. The feedback may be sent in electronic or hard copy form to:

Legal Policy Division

Ministry of Law

100 High Street

#08-02, The Treasury

Singapore 179434

Fax: 6332 8842

E-mail: MLAW_Consultation@mlaw.gov.sg

Attachments

Consultation paper on draft Coroners Bill (0.02MB)
Draft Coroners Bill (0.1MB)

Last updated on 27 Nov 2012