### Coroners Ordinance 《死因裁判官條例》

22. Summoning of jurors
(1) The Registrar shall cause a juror whose name is selected under section 21(1) to be served with a summons in the prescribed form requiring his attendance at an inquest at the time and place specified in the summons.
(2)  A summons referred to in subsection (1) shall be served on a juror personally or by leaving it at his residence or place of business, or by sending it by registered post addressed to him at his residence or place of business:
Provided that if such a summons is not served personally it shall be served 4 clear days before the day appointed for the holding of the inquest concerned, and, in the case of service by post, an additional 2 clear days shall be allowed for delivery. 
(3) A summons referred to in subsection (1) served by post in accordance with subsection (2) and not returned as undelivered shall, in the absence of evidence to the contrary, be deemed to have been served.
(4) A juror who, having been served with a summons referred to in subsection (1) in accordance with subsection (2), fails, without reasonable excuse, to attend the inquest concerned pursuant to such summons or at any adjournment of that inquest commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine at level 2.
(5) For the purposes of subsection (2), the following days must not be reckoned in computing the number of clear days—
(a) a Saturday;
(b) a public holiday;
(c) a gale warning day as defined by section 71(2) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap. 1);
(d) a black rainstorm warning day as defined by that section. (Added 18 of 2016 s. 29)

23. Selection of jurors from panel
A coroner shall select by ballot 5 jurors from the names of the jurors forming the panel transmitted to him under section 21(1), and may, if necessary, require a fit and proper person or bystander to serve as a juror, provided that such person or bystander is not exempted from jury service by section 5 of the Jury Ordinance (Cap. 3).

24. Procedure with jurors
The jurors at an inquest shall be sworn or declared in the prescribed form and the oath may be administered to or the declaration made by 2 or more jurors at once.

### Coroners Ordinance 《死因裁判官條例》

25. Discharge of jurors
(1) A coroner may at any time during an inquest discharge a juror—
(a) where, in the interests of justice, it appears to the coroner expedient to do so; or
(b) in the interests of the juror.
(2) Where during an inquest a juror is discharged under subsection (1) or dies—
(a) subject to paragraph (b)—
(i) the inquest shall be proceeded with in a like manner as if the required number of jurors had continued on the jury; and
(ii) the jury shall be considered as remaining properly constituted for the purpose of the inquest; and
(b) the coroner—
(i) if he considers it in the interests of justice to do so, may discharge the remaining jurors and order a new inquest to be held; and
(ii) if the number of the remaining jurors is less than 3, shall discharge them and order a new inquest to be held.

26. Exemption from further jury service for specified period
(1) Where a coroner holds an inquest with a jury, he may—
(a) upon the conclusion of the inquest; and
(b) having regard to—
(i) the length of the inquest;
(ii) the degree of distress which the inquest may have caused the jurors, or some of the jurors; and
(iii) such other matters in respect of the inquest as he considers relevant,
order that all the jurors, or such of the jurors as he specifies in the order, shall, for the period specified in the order commencing on the date of the conclusion of the inquest, be excused from again serving as a juror in any subsequent inquest commenced during that period.
(2) Subject to subsection (3), the Registrar shall give effect to an order under subsection (1).
(3) An order under subsection (1) shall be subject to section 20(3), whether or not the inquest to which that section relates was the inquest at the conclusion of which that order was made.

27. Purpose of inquest
The purpose of an inquest into the death of a person shall be to inquire into the cause of and the circumstances connected with the death and, for that purpose, the proceedings and evidence at the inquest 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;
(c) the particulars for the time being required by the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance (Cap. 174) to be registered concerning the death; and
(d) the conclusion of—
(i) where the inquest was held without a jury, the coroner who held the inquest;
(ii) in any other case, the jury concerned,
as to the death.

### Coroners Ordinance 《死因裁判官條例》

28. Notice of inquest
(1) Subject to subsection (2), a coroner who is to hold an inquest—
(a) shall cause each properly interested person who has notified him in writing that he has an interest in the inquest;
(b) may cause any other properly interested person whom the coroner—
(i) knows to be such a person; and
(ii) considers to have an interest in the inquest,
to be given reasonable notice of the date, hour and place at which the inquest will be held.
(2) Where a coroner—
(a) has not conducted a pre-inquest review into the death of a person; and
(b) is minded to conduct an inquest into the death without a jury,
then, before complying with subsection (1) in respect of the death, he shall cause each properly interested person—
(i) who has notified him in writing that he has an interest in any inquest that may arise out of the death; or
(ii) whom the coroner—
(A) knows to be such a person; and
(B) considers to have an interest in any inquest that may arise out of the death,
to be given notice in the prescribed form—
(A) of the properly interested person’s right under section 14(3)(a); and
(B) that the right may be exercised at any time within the 14 days immediately following the date on which that notice is issued.

29. Notice to be given to a person whose conduct is likely to be called in question
Where in the opinion of a coroner who is to hold an inquest a person’s conduct is likely to be called in question at the inquest, the coroner shall cause him to be—
(a) advised of that fact; and
(b) given reasonable notice of the date, hour and place at which the inquest will be held.

30. Inquest to be public
An inquest shall be held in open court, unless the coroner directs that the public should be excluded from the inquest or any part of the inquest.

31. Appearance by counsel or solicitor
A properly interested person or person referred to in section 29 or 34 may be represented by counsel or solicitor at an inquest and where any such person is absent, but is so represented, such person shall be deemed not to be absent.

32. Questioning of witnesses
Without prejudice to any other enactment with regard to the examination of witnesses at an inquest—
(a) a properly interested person; and
(b) any other person who has the permission of the coroner to do so,
shall be entitled to examine a witness in person or by counsel or solicitor.