Inquests Act | Chapter 13 — Uganda law | Esheria

Inquests Act

Defines the terms “coroner”, “currency point”, “medical practitioner”, and “officer in charge of a police station” for this Act.

Jurisdiction
Uganda
Instrument
Act or statute
Citation
Chapter 13
Version
Undated source snapshot
Language
en

Source attribution: Source: Uganda Legal Information Institute

Statute overview

About this statute

When informed under section 9, the officer in charge or a delegated person (the authority) must go to where the deceased lies, investigate the death, notify a coroner without delay in Form B, and in certain circumstances either authorise interment or send the body to a hospital; a medical practitioner who finds death from natural causes in custody must complete and send Form B and subsections (1) and (2) do not apply. Defines the terms “coroner”, “currency point”, “medical practitioner”, and “officer in charge of a police station” for this Act. Magistrates appointed under the Magistrates Courts Act may hold inquests; the Minister may, by Gazette notice, empower other fit persons to hold inquests in specified areas; a coroner or their successor may continue, resume or reopen an inquest. Courts established under the Magistrates Courts Act must keep an inquest book recording every inquest and other matters required by the Act; the Chief Justice prescribes the form by rules. Coroners must examine available records when informed of a death that may be violent, unnatural, or occurred in custody or prison, and must hold an inquest in specified cases; they must not start an inquest while related criminal proceedings are ongoing unless public benefit indicates otherwise, and must record certain opinions in the inquest book.

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