Practical issues
Identifying the deceased
Formal identification will need to be made of the deceased so the identity is confirmed. Medical personnel may do this if present at the time of death or if the deceased is known to them. Personal items/dental records/DNA may be used to assist in the identification if needed. A witnessed statement will need to be signed by the person doing the identification.
It is important that the identification is done as quickly as possible so next of kin can be advised of the death.
Once next of kin are advised, details (name and age) may be released to the media. This will not be done until immediate next of kin have been advised.
Viewing the deceased
Most people want to see the deceased as soon as possible after death. The coroner will make every effort to release the deceased as soon as possible. You should make arrangements to view the deceased with the funeral director.
In certain circumstances, the coroner may allow the deceased to be viewed before release. Please contact the Coronial Services Co-ordinator if you have a special request.
Viewing the deceased should not be confused with formal identification.
Personal belongings
Police or medical personnel may return personal items (i.e. jewellery, wallet or clothing) at the time of death. Alternatively, the Police or funeral director may return these items to the family in the following days.
Some items may need to be retained for a forensic investigation or for any ongoing Police inquiry, and will be returned to the family at a later date.
Registering a death
Notification of the death will be sent to Births, Deaths and Marriages by the Coronial Services of New Zealand once the coroner authorises the release of the deceased.
If an inquiry is to be held, this initial notification will give an interim cause of death, which will state 'Subject To Coroner's Findings'. In these circumstances, the final cause of death will not be confirmed until the coroner announces the findings at the end of an inquiry. Final notification of death will be forwarded to Births, Deaths and Marriages by the Coronial Services of New Zealand.
Obtaining a death Certificate
Once a death is notified to Births, Deaths and Marriages, it is possible to request a death certificate. If an inquiry is to be held, this may only be an interim certificate, which states 'Subject To Coroner's Findings' in the cause or causes of death field. There is no fee payable to Births, Deaths and Marriages for notification of a death for registration, but a fee applies when you request a death certificate.
Births, Deaths and Marriages will update the cause of death with the coroner's findings, and if an interim death certificate is returned then a replacement death certificate, including the full cause of death, will be available at no additional cost.
Contact details for Births, Deaths and Marriages can be found in the Government section of the White Pages phone book.
Funeral arrangements
It is recommended that you contact a funeral director as soon as possible after the death. Once you have engaged a funeral director, they will be able to guide you through the coroner's process and seek release of the deceased.
The family is not obliged to use the same funeral director who was contracted by the Police to transport the deceased to the mortuary or other place of safety after the death.
Funeral directors can be found by looking in the telephone book, the Yellow Pages or a local newspaper.
