Victorian Current Acts

PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLBEING ACT 2008 - SECT 156

    (1)     The Chief Health Officer may require a registered medical practitioner who has qualifications or experience that the Chief Health Officer considers appropriate to carry out an autopsy on a body if—

        (a)     the Chief Health Officer believes that—

              (i)     an infectious disease caused, may have caused, or contributed to, the person's death; and

              (ii)     an autopsy is necessary to determine whether there is a serious risk to public health; and

S. 156(1)(b) amended by No. 77/2008 s. 129(Sch.  2 item 21.3)

        (b)     the coroner does not have jurisdiction over the body.

    (2)     Before an autopsy is carried out, the Chief Health Officer must comply with section 157.

    (3)     For the purposes of carrying out an autopsy under this section, the Chief Health Officer may order the person who has possession of the body to give possession of that body to the registered medical practitioner.

    (4)     A person who has possession of a body must comply with an order of the Chief Health Officer under this section.

Penalty:     10 penalty units.