What is a Medical Cerificate of the Cause of Death?
A. In the case of a death of any person who has been attended during his/her last illness by a registered Medical Practitioner, it is the duty of that Medical Practitioner to complete and sign a Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death. The Medical Practitioner is obliged to give this certificate to the person acting as the Informant of the death. In turn, the Informant uses the Medical Cerificate of the Cause of Death when registering the death with the Registrar. A Doctor (Medical Practitioner) will normally issue a Medical Certificate of the Cause of Death when: he/she is a registered Medical Practitioner; he/she has been in attendance during the last illness, the relevant timeframe being within the last 28 days before death; he/she knows the cause of death; he/she does not consider it a case which requires referral to the Coroner. If the doctor has not been in attendance within the 28 days preceding death, the Cornoner must be notified. However, if the Doctor in this situation was
