### Coroners Ordinance 《死因裁判官條例》

5. Places for autopsies, etc.
(1) The Secretary for Health may, by order published in the Gazette— (Amended L.N. 106 of 2002; L.N. 130 of 2007; L.N. 144 of 2022)
(a) set apart places to be mortuaries for the reception of dead bodies for the purpose of autopsies;
(b) provide or arrange for the management of such places.
(2) A coroner may order the removal of a dead body to and from a prescribed mortuary for the purpose of an autopsy, and may order the cost of the removal to be a charge on the general revenue.

6. Autopsies
(1) Where a dead body is brought to a prescribed mortuary (whether pursuant to an order under section 5(2) or otherwise), or before a decision is made whether to hold an inquest under section 14 into the death of a person, a coroner may order an autopsy to be performed on the dead body concerned.
(2) An autopsy shall not be performed except by a registered medical practitioner who is a pathologist.
(3) A coroner may in an order under subsection (1) specify the pathologist who shall perform the autopsy to which the order relates.
(4) A pathologist who performs an autopsy shall—
(a) report in the prescribed form on the cause of death to—
(i) the coroner who ordered the autopsy; or
(ii) if that coroner is precluded by illness, absence from Hong Kong or any other cause from carrying out his duties as a coroner, any other coroner;
(b) supply a copy of such report to the Commissioner of Police; and
(c) not supply a copy of such report to any other person without the consent of—
(i) the coroner who ordered the autopsy; or
(ii) if that coroner is precluded by illness, absence from Hong Kong or any other cause from carrying out his duties as a coroner, any other coroner.

7. Power of coroner to order exhumation
Notwithstanding anything contained in Part XI of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), a coroner may order the exhumation of a dead body, or the remains of a dead body, for the purpose of discharging any of his duties, or exercising any of his powers, under this Ordinance.

8. Power of coroner to order burial or cremation
A coroner may, notwithstanding that he considers that an inquest is necessary, order a dead body to be buried or cremated and, if he so orders, shall give a certificate of his order in the form prescribed for the purposes of the proviso to section 17(1) of the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance (Cap. 174).

### Coroners Ordinance 《死因裁判官條例》

9. Investigations into deaths
(1) Subject to subsection (2), a coroner may investigate—
(a) a reportable death; or
(b) any other death of a person which the coroner considers should be investigated in the public interest,
whether or not—
(i) the coroner has viewed the dead body concerned;
(ii) an autopsy has been performed on that body;
(iii) an inquest into the death is to be held by the coroner; or
(iv) an investigation into the death has previously been carried out.
(2) The purpose of an investigation into the death of a person carried out pursuant to subsection (1) shall be to investigate the cause of and the circumstances connected with the death and, for that purpose, the investigation shall be directed to ascertaining the following matters in so far as they may be ascertained—
(a) the identity of the person;
(b) how, when and where the person came by his death; and
(c) the particulars for the time being required by the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance (Cap. 174) to be registered concerning the death.

10. Power of entry and search
(1) Subject to subsection (2), a coroner may, if satisfied by information upon oath that there are reasonable grounds for believing that any thing which may be relevant to the cause of or the circumstances connected with the death of a person is likely to be found in or on any premises or place, issue a warrant in the prescribed form under his hand and seal authorizing any police officer, with such assistants as may be necessary, at any reasonable time to enter such premises or place, as the case may be, by force if necessary, and search such premises or place, as the case may be, specified in the warrant.
(2) A coroner shall, before exercising his power under subsection (1), consider whether it is appropriate to do so after having regard to—
(a) the degree of distress which the exercise of that power may cause the family of the deceased person concerned; and
(b) the degree of disruption which the exercise of that power may cause to the normal activities carried out in or on the premises or place concerned.
(3) In any premises or place entered pursuant to a warrant issued under subsection (1), a police officer may—
(a) require the production of, seize, detain and remove any thing which may be relevant to the cause of or the circumstances connected with the death of the person to whom the warrant relates;
(b) at that time, or subsequently, make and retain a copy of any thing referred to in paragraph (a) which is a document.
(4) This section shall be without prejudice to any powers of entry and search conferred on police officers under any other law.
(5) In this section—
premises (處所) includes domestic premises;
thing (東西) includes any document, article, clothing or substance.

### Coroners Ordinance 《死因裁判官條例》

11. Pre-inquest review
(1) A coroner who is to hold an inquest into the death of a person may conduct a pre-inquest review into the death for the purpose of determining, in so far as is reasonably practicable, how that inquest, when held, may be disposed of in a just and expeditious manner.
(2) A pre-inquest review shall not take place in open court.
(3) A coroner may give notice to a properly interested person to attend a pre-inquest review and the notice shall give the date, hour and place at which the pre-inquest review will be held.
(4) At a pre-inquest review a coroner shall consider whether the conduct of a person is likely to be called in question at the inquest to which the review relates and, if so, the coroner may recommend to that person to seek legal advice.

### Coroners Ordinance 《死因裁判官條例》

13. Supply of witness statements, etc.
(1) Where—
(a) a coroner has decided that he will hold an inquest into the death of a person;
(b) a witness statement or medical or technical report—
(i) relates to the death; and
(ii) is in the possession or control of the coroner; and
(c) a properly interested person makes a request to the coroner—
(i) to be supplied with a copy of the statement or report; and
(ii) before the inquest into the death,
the coroner shall comply with the request.
(2) Where—
(a) a police officer has prepared and forwarded to a coroner a report on the death of a person (and whether or not the death is a reportable death);
(b) a properly interested person makes a request to the coroner to be supplied with a copy of the report; and
(c) at the time he receives the request the coroner has decided that he will not hold an inquest into the death,
the coroner shall comply with the request but in so doing shall delete from the copy to be supplied (including any annexure thereto) any particulars which identify and person who has made or refused to make a witness statement in relation to the death unless that person has expressly consented (whether before or after the receipt of the request) to his identity being disclosed to properly interested persons.
(3) In order to facilitate the better operation of subsection (2), a person proposing to make a witness statement in relation to the death of a person shall be advised, either orally or in writing, that the statement may be provided to properly interested persons whether or not an inquest is held into the death (or words to the like effect).