Coroners and Justice Act 2009

Treasure Act 1996 (c. 24)

41 For section 9 substitute—

“9 Procedure for investigations: England and Wales

(1) Before conducting an investigation concerning an object, the Coroner for Treasure must—

(a) notify the appropriate national museum;

(b) take reasonable steps to notify—

(i) any person who the coroner thinks may have found the object; and

(ii) any person who, at the time the object was found, occupied land that the coroner thinks may be where it was found.

(2) During an investigation the Coroner for Treasure must take reasonable steps to notify any person within subsection (1)(b) who has not already been notified.

(3) Before or during an investigation, the Coroner for Treasure must take reasonable steps—

(a) to obtain the names and addresses of any other interested persons; and

(b) to notify any interested person whose name and address he obtains.

(4) The Coroner for Treasure must take reasonable steps to give any interested person an opportunity to examine witnesses at any inquest held as part of an investigation.

(5) In this section—

• “the appropriate national museum” means—

  (a)

  the British Museum, if the object in question was found or is believed to have been found in England;

  (b)

  the National Museum of Wales, if it was found or is believed to have been found in Wales;

• “interested person” has the meaning given by section 47(6) of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009;

• “investigation” means an investigation under section 26 of that Act.

(6) This section extends only to England and Wales.

9A Procedure for inquests: Northern Ireland

(1) Before conducting an inquest concerning an object, a coroner must—

(a) notify the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland;

(b) take reasonable steps to notify—

(i) any person who the coroner thinks may have found the object; and

(ii) any person who, at the time the object was found, occupied land that the coroner thinks may be where it was found.

(2) During the inquest the coroner must take reasonable steps to notify any person within subsection (1)(b) who has not already been notified.

(3) Before or during the inquest, the coroner must take reasonable steps—

(a) to obtain the names and addresses of any other interested persons; and

(b) to notify any interested person whose name and address he obtains.

(4) The coroner must take reasonable steps to give any interested person an opportunity to examine witnesses at the inquest.

(5) In this section—

• “inquest” means an inquest held by virtue of section 7(1);

• “interested person” means—

  (a)

  the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland;

  (b)

  the finder of the object in question or any person otherwise involved in the find;

  (c)

  the occupier, at the time the object was found, of the land where it was found or is believed to have been found;

  (d)

  a person who had an interest in that land at that time or who has had such an interest since;

  (e)

  any other person with a sufficient interest.

(6) This section extends only to Northern Ireland.”