District Court Judge Neil MacLean was appointed the first Chief Coroner of New Zealand under the Coroners Act 2006. When he took up the position in February 2007, Judge MacLean worked closely with the government in relation to the appointment and disposition of Coroners throughout New Zealand. He also liaised closely with professional and community groups, to ensure, the successful implementation and execution of the Coronial Services of New Zealand on 1 July 2007.
The main function of the Chief Coroner is to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of the coronial service provided for by the Act with the objective of raising the professionalism of the coronial service and to promote consistency of the coronial practice throughout the country in a timely and efficient way whilst respecting the rights and interests of the bereaved.
Judge MacLean was in practice in Christchurch between 1968 and 1993. Before his appointment to the District Court Bench, in 1993 Judge MacLean served as a Christchurch Coroner from 1978 to 1993. He was then sole resident judge at Gisborne for 6 years and was then transferred to Hamilton.
After his appointment as a Judge he continued to be involved in Inquests usually for complex matters or where another Coroner had a conflict of interest.
His Chambers are in Auckland and Wellington but he also travels extensively around the country as required. He has spoken as Chief Coroner overseas in London, Brussels and Bath, also at many major Australian cities.
He was President of the Asia Pacific Coroners Society in 2010.
He was honoured by the University Of Canterbury in 2012 with an Honorary Doctor of Laws.
He is married to Susan and they have 3 adult children and 5 grandchildren.
| Confessions of a Coroner
Concurrent Workshop Repeated |
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| Friday, 21 June 2013 | Start 4:30pm | Duration: 55mins | Sovereign |
| Start 5:35pm | Duration: 55mins | Sovereign | |
The Chief Coroner discusses some of the recent high profile High Court cases involving Coroners including Carroll v Coroners court at Auckland and the Gravatt case. He will explore the ramifications for medical professionals from the Gravatt case and the problem where someone's actions are coming under scrutiny. This is both the issue of naming in the Findings with Publication and or giving notice of the tenor of allegations and likely Findings where a medical professional is involved.
He will also touch on the issues around publication of suicide informatoin and what is going on. Also themes emerging from the current Ministerial Review of the Coroners Act and potential implications for Medical Professionals.
| Better Certification of Death
Concurrent Workshop Repeated |
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| Sunday, 23 June 2013 | Start 8:30am | Duration: 55mins | Warhol |
| Start 9:35am | Duration: 55mins | Warhol | |
The Chief Coroner discusses the dilemmas facing a doctro requested to certify death where there is uncertainty about the actual cause of death or the deceased was not the doctor's primary patient. What are the issues you need to work through? How do you contact the Coroner for advice? What are the pitfalls? How does the medical referee fit in all this?