Office of the Chief Coroner
Coronial Services of New Zealand - Office of the Chief Coroner
The Chief Coroner
District Court Judge Neil MacLean was appointed the first Chief Coroner of New Zealand under the Coroners Act 2006. When he took up the position in February 2007, Judge MacLean worked closely with the government in relation to the appointment and disposition of Coroners throughout New Zealand. He also liased closely with professional and community groups to ensure the successful implementation and execution of the Coronial Services of New Zealand on 1 July 2007.
The main function of the Chief Coroner is to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of the coronial service provided for by the Act with the objective of raising the professionalism of the coronial service and to promote consistency of the coronial practice throughout the country.
Judge MacLean was a partner in three Christchurch law practices between 1972 and 1993. Before his appointment to the District Court Bench, Judge MacLean served as the Christchurch Coroner from 1978 to 1993. He has continued to carry out inquests since his judicial appointment, usually for complex matters or where a second inquest has been directed, or where another Coroner has a conflict of interest. He also assisted in the preparation of the Coroner's Manual 1988 and provided consultative information to the Chief Judge regarding the Coroners Act 2006.
The Office of the Chief Coroner is based in Auckland. The Operations Manager, National Office Staff, the Coronial Services Unit and the Coroners support the Office of the Chief Coroner.
The Coroner
A Coroner is appointed by the Governor-General under the Coroners Act 2006 to investigate certain types of death. A Coroner is a warranted judicial officer, and while they have a legal background, they undertake an inquisitorial process to discover what happened rather than hold a trial to apportion blame.
There are currently 16 coroners plus the Chief Coroner based in 9 locations throughout New Zealand. They conduct inquest circuits within a defined geographic region to provide a nation-wide coronial service.
Details of these locations can be found at Coroner Locations and Contact Details.
