Section 42: Certificate of cause of death

42. Certificate of cause of death (1) An officer shall, on request, furnish without charge to every medical practitioner within his district printed forms of certificates of cause of death in such form as the Registrar of Civil Status may approve. (2) Every person who, under this Act, is bound to give notice of the occurrence of any death shall— (a) in the case of the death of any person who has been attended during his last illness by a medical practitioner, apply to the medical practitioner for a certificate of the cause of death; (b) in the case of the death of any person who was not attended during his last illness by a medical practitioner, but who was under treatment at a Government dispensary, apply to the officer in charge of the dispensary for a certificate of the cause of death, and the medical practitioner or the officer in charge of the dispensary shall sign and deliver to the applicant a certificate of the cause of death. (3) (a) In any case not covered by subsection (2), any one of the persons required to give notice of the occurrence of any death shall cause the dead body to be examined by a medical practitioner who shall, after examination, duly sign and deliver a certificate of the cause of death. (b) Where the persons are too poor to defray the expenses of the examination— (i) they shall make a written statement to that effect before an officer in such form as the Registrar of Civil Status may approve; (ii) the office shall issue them a written authority to apply to a Government Medical Officer for the examination of the dead body and the delivery of a certificate of the cause of death, and the Government Medical Officer shall, on application, examine the body and deliver the certificate required. [S. 42 amended by Act 9 of 1984.]