SEPT. 18.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 2917

the view of causing them to approach Ministers or the Commissioner for the purpose of influencing decisions regarding cases of discipline, promotion, or transfer. Such action is highly objectionable, and is at variance with a high standard of discipline. Any member of the Force who offends against this regulation is liable to immediate dismissal.

It sometimes occurs that wives, fathers, or other relatives or friends of members of the Force send letters to influential persons asking that Ministers or the Commissioner might be privately approached in cases of the kind mentioned above, and stating that this is done without the knowledge of the person on whose behalf the letters are sent. It must be clearly understood that if any such influence is used the case will be dealt with as if known to the member of the Force concerned.

Inquests.

301. When the body of a deceased person is found it should, as a rule, be removed to the nearest morgue or hospital dead-house, if any, in the neighbourhood, or, if none within three miles, to the nearest hotel. A report on the proper form should be made to the nearest Coroner, or the Coroner in whose district the body was found, and to the officer in charge.

Where a person dies suddenly in his own home and there are no suspicious circumstances, the body should not be removed to the morgue until the direction of the Coroner has been obtained.

302. Unless in exceptional cases the Coroner will not travel more than twenty miles to hold an inquest if a local Justice is available, but will instruct the Police to get the nearest Justice to hold it.

Care should be taken to see that the Justice does not commence the inquest until twenty-four hours have elapsed after the necessity for an inquest has become apparent.

A Visiting Justice should not be asked to hold an inquest upon any prisoner who dies in gaol. If the Coroner is not available, a Justice in no way connected with the gaol should act.

If is not necessary to empanel a jury where a Coroner holds an inquest unless he or the Attorney-General orders one, but when inquests are held by Deputy Coroners or Justices a jury must be empanelled.

Jurors and witnesses at inquests may be paid by the Police on the certificate of the Coroner according to scale; such claims will be charged to the Department of Justice.

303. Reports to the Coroner should always be made in the following cases: Persons drowned, found dead, or killed by accident, sudden deaths, prisoners dying in custody or patients in mental hospitals, and all deaths under suspicious circumstances, or where the cause of death is unknown or is apparently due to foul play or criminal negligence.

In cases of sudden deaths, where no medical man was in attendance and cannot therefore certify, the Police will carefully investigate the circumstances and report fully to the Coroner, who may order burial without an inquest if he is satisfied there was no foul play.

In no case must the Police authorize the burial of a body without the consent of the Coroner.

304. A report on the usual form will be made of each inquest and forwarded to the officer in charge of the district, who, after noting the particulars in his inquest-book, will forward same to the Commissioner’s office for record.

In all inquest reports, in the place provided for general remarks, the circumstances in which deceased met his death should be stated; it should also be stated where he was born, and, if any relatives in the Dominion or elsewhere, their names and address should be given.

If the whereabouts of relatives of the deceased in the Dominion can be ascertained the Police should immediately notify them of the death, by telegram if necessary.

The Police attending the inquest should obtain, as far as possible, all the particulars required to be registered concerning the death, and furnish the same to the Coroner at the inquest.

305. Where a dead body has been found and cannot be identified, it should be photographed, and a full description of the body and clothing sent to the Police Gazette.

The finger-prints of deceased should also be taken on the usual finger-print form and forwarded to the Commissioner’s office.

306. Any property found with deceased, and taken possession of by the Police, should be enumerated on the inquest report, and a receipt for same attached if it has been handed over.

No property should be handed over without authority from the Public Trustee or his agent in cases where deceased died intestate, unless it is of little value and the person to whom it is handed has undertaken the burial expenses.

307. Where the Police have to arrange the burial, and deceased leaves sufficient estate to pay therefor, it must be done decently and according to the circumstances of the deceased, the account being submitted to the agent of the Public Trustee for payment.

Where the deceased leaves no estate the burial must be effected as economically as is consistent with decency, and the local charitable-aid board asked to defray the cost.

Certain provisions for the burial of destitute persons are made by section 25 of the Cemeteries Act, 1908, and section 13 of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Amendment Act, 1913.

308. When a body has been removed or taken charge of by the Police for an inquest, precautions should be taken that it is not interfered with in any way before it has been viewed by the Coroner or medical man ordered by the Coroner to make a post-mortem examination thereof.

In cases of suicide or murder careful search for the instrument or other means that caused death should be made, and if such is found it should be preserved for production.

Weapons found should not be handled, but carefully examined, in case there may be finger-prints thereon. Bottles or papers that may have contained poison should also be secured and preserved.

Every circumstance connected with the appearance of the body, the position in which it was found, and the probable time dead should be noted; it should be carefully searched and examined, with the view of ascertaining whether there are any marks of external violence; the effects found should be kept in the custody of the Police for production at the inquest if necessary.

In all cases the above particulars should be noted at the time in writing, especially as to the position and surrounding of the body and the disposition and attitude of the limbs, so that when giving evidence it will not be necessary to depend entirely upon the memory.

Instruction Classes.

309. Weekly instruction classes of not less than one hour’s duration shall be held at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin, at which any