On 23/05/2013,
you requested for the version in force on 23/05/2013
incorporating all amendments published on or before 23/05/2013.
The closest version currently available is that of 25/10/2012.
PART III
INVESTIGATIONS INTO DEATHS
10.
—(1) A police officer who comes across or receives any information about any death which is, or appears to be, a reportable death shall —
(a)
if the body is in Singapore, proceed immediately to the spot where the body is lying or the death is believed to have occurred; and
(b)
use his best endeavours to investigate the cause of and circumstances connected with the death of the deceased.
(2) If the police officer is unable to comply with subsection (1), he shall immediately inform his superior officer who shall depute some other police officer who shall comply with that subsection.
(3) Any police officer who has seen the body may —
(a)
cause the body to be removed to such place as he may direct, pending an order of a Coroner to release the body; or
(b)
secure and preserve the scene where the body was found, pending further investigations.
[CPC, s. 273]
11.
—(1) After a police officer has started investigations into a death, he shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, inform a Coroner of the death and any particulars concerning the cause of death which have come to his knowledge.
(2) The police officer investigating into the cause of death shall —
(a)
from time to time, furnish the Coroner with such further particulars concerning the death as may subsequently come to his knowledge, together with the name of any person who has been arrested and charged in connection with the death; and
(b)
comply with such directions as the Coroner may give concerning the investigation.
[CPC, s. 273]
12.
—(1) A Coroner shall, as soon as possible after a death is reported to him, view the body if practicable, and make a preliminary investigation —
(a)
at the place where the body is lying, or any other place to which the body has been moved; or
(b)
by a live video link, or by such other means as the State Coroner may approve which reasonably allows the Coroner to view and identify the body.
(2) If the Coroner considers, after viewing the body and making a preliminary investigation, that the death was due to natural causes and that it is unnecessary to hold an inquiry, he may issue an order under section 22 for the release of the body.
[CPC, s. 274]
13. In any investigation under section 10, where a person has been or may be arrested and charged in connection with the death, the police officer investigating into the cause of death shall —
(a)
as soon as reasonably practicable, inform the Public Prosecutor of the particulars concerning the cause of death which have come to his knowledge; and
(b)
comply with such directions as the Public Prosecutor may give concerning the investigation.
14. A police officer shall investigate into the cause of any death if directed to do so by the Public Prosecutor.
15. In investigating into any death, a police officer may exercise all or any of the powers conferred on him by the Criminal Procedure Code (Cap. 68) or any other written law in relation to investigations into an arrestable offence.
16.
—(1) When a Coroner or the Public Prosecutor receives information about the death of any person, the Coroner or the Public Prosecutor may, if he considers it appropriate to do so, direct —
(a)
a forensic pathologist to investigate the cause of and circumstances connected with the death; and
(b)
that a copy of all medical records, health-care records and such other documents as may be relevant to the case be furnished by the person in charge of the hospital, medical clinic or place of custody referred to in section 8 or any other person in possession thereof to the forensic pathologist.
(2) The forensic pathologist shall regularly inform the police officer investigating the death, the Coroner and the Public Prosecutor about the progress of his investigations and findings.
17.
—(1) A forensic pathologist making an investigation under section 16 may —
(a)
view the body at the place where the body is lying or order the body to be removed to some more convenient place and view the body at that place;
(b)
require any medical practitioner or health-care practitioner to furnish, within such time as the forensic pathologist may specify —
(i)
a detailed report, to the best of the medical practitioner’s or health-care practitioner’s knowledge, on the medical treatment or care rendered to the deceased before that person’s death;
(ii)
such medical records or health-care records pertaining to the medical treatment or care of the deceased as the forensic pathologist may require; and
(iii)
any other information, substance or thing pertaining to the medical treatment or care of the deceased in the possession of the medical practitioner or health-care practitioner which the forensic pathologist considers necessary for the purposes of the investigation;
(ba)
request the Registrar to furnish, within such time as the forensic pathologist may specify, such information pertaining to the medical history, treatment or care of the deceased in the possession of the Registry as the forensic pathologist considers necessary for the purposes of the investigation; and
(c)
request the Coroner to direct the police to provide such assistance as the forensic pathologist may require to investigate the cause of and circumstances connected with the death.
(2) Any medical practitioner or health-care practitioner who is required by a forensic pathologist under subsection (1)(b) to provide any report, record, information, substance or thing and who —
(a)
without reasonable excuse, fails to provide the report, record, information, substance or thing;
(b)
provides any report, record or information which he knows or believes to be false or incomplete; or
(c)
tampers or destroys, or causes or permits the tampering or destruction of, any report, record, substance or thing pertaining to the medical treatment or care of the deceased,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.
[2/2012 wef 01/03/2012]
(3) The Registrar, or any Registry officer, agent of the Registry or other person who acts under the direction of the Registrar —
(a)
shall comply with a request under subsection (1)(ba) to furnish information to the forensic pathologist, notwithstanding any restriction on the disclosure of information imposed by section 8 of the National Registry of Diseases Act (Cap. 201B); and
(b)
shall not by so doing be treated as being in breach of any such restriction, notwithstanding anything to the contrary in that section.
[2/2012 wef 01/03/2012]
(4) In this section, “agent of the Registry”, “Registrar”, “Registry” and “Registry officer” have the same meanings as in the National Registry of Diseases Act.
[2/2012 wef 01/03/2012]