Coroners (Amendment) Act 2005

Amendment of Coroners Act 1962.

1.—The Coroners Act 1962 is amended—

(a) in section 26, by the repeal of subsection (2),

(b) by the substitution of the following section for section 36:

“36.—A summons requiring the attendance of a person at an inquest as a juror or witness shall be served on the person by a member of the Garda Síochána in one of the following ways:

(a) by delivering it to the person;

(b) by delivering it at the address at which the person ordinarily resides to a person who has attained the age of 16 years and who resides or is employed at that address; or

(c) by sending it by prepaid registered post to the address at which the person ordinarily resides or, in a case where an address for service has been furnished, to that address.”,

and

(c) the substitution of the following section for section 37:

“37.—(1) A person who, having been duly served with a summons requiring him to attend an inquest as a juror, fails to attend on the date and at the time and place specified in the summons shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €500.

(2) A person who, having been duly served with a summons requiring him to attend an inquest as a witness, fails to attend on the date and at the time and place specified in the summons shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €3,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.

(3) The amendment of this Act (other than this subsection) effected by paragraph (c) of section 1 of the Coroners (Amendment) Act 2005 shall not apply if the date specified in the summons concerned falls before the passing of the second-mentioned Act.”.