Coroners Act 2010 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 5 · Circumstances Under Which Inquiry Is Held
25. Duty of Coroner to hold inquiry
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2026. 2 amendments in all.
A Coroner must hold an inquiry into any death which occurred in Singapore where —
Coroner
“Coroner” means a Coroner appointed under section 3(1), and includes the State Coroner;
a person dies while in official custody;
the death was the result of the lawful execution of a death sentence in accordance with section 313(1)(m) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010;
the Public Prosecutor so requires under section 26; or
the death occurred in any of the circumstances set out in the Third Schedule, unless the Coroner is satisfied that the death was due to natural causes.
A Coroner may decide not to hold an inquiry, in any other case in which the Coroner has jurisdiction, if he or she is satisfied that —
inquiry
“inquiry” means an inquiry into any death held by a Coroner under Part 6;
the death was due to natural causes and it is unnecessary to do so; or
in the circumstances, it is not necessary in the public interest to do so.
In deciding whether to hold an inquiry, a Coroner may have regard to the following matters:
in the case of a death that appears to have been unnatural or violent, whether or not it appears to have been due to the action or inaction of any other person;
the extent to which the drawing of attention to the circumstances of the death may be likely to reduce the chances of the occurrence of other deaths in similar circumstances;
the desire of any member of the immediate family of the deceased that an inquiry should be conducted;
whether or not the death occurred outside Singapore where the death is not one mentioned in section 24(1)(e) or (f), or was caused by matters arising outside Singapore;
whether or not an inquiry or investigation into the death has been or will be conducted by a coroner or a corresponding authority of a foreign country;
any other matter the Coroner thinks fit.
A Coroner who decides not to hold an inquiry into a death under subsection (2) must report the facts to the Public Prosecutor with the Coroner’s reasons for not holding an inquiry.