(1)  A coroner may request some or all of the persons who have a sufficient interest in an investigation (and their representatives, if any) to attend a conference for the purpose of facilitating the conduct of the investigation or, if applicable, the rest of the investigation.

(2)  The request may be made orally or by means of a served notice (in a form determined by the coroner) but must in either case be accompanied by advice as to the time and place of the conference.

(3)  The coroner who makes the request need not be the coroner who is conducting the investigation.

(4)  The conference may be chaired by –

(a) the coroner who makes the request; or

(b) another coroner; or

(c) a coroner's associate or other person who has been specifically authorised by the Chief Magistrate to conduct the conference; or

(d) a coroner's associate or other person who has been generally authorised by the Chief Magistrate to conduct such conferences.

(5)  The chair of the conference may direct a person attending the conference to do any one or more of the following:

(a) identify any issues that the person expects to arise in the investigation;

(b) identify anybody who the person considers might be a potential witness in the investigation and indicate the probable nature of their evidence;

(c) produce any document or thing that the person considers might be relevant to the investigation;

(d) confer with any other person about the investigation;

(e) find out information or procure documents that might be relevant to the investigation;

(f) take any other reasonable action that it is within the person's power to take for the purpose of facilitating the investigation.

(6)  The chair of the conference may also do any one or more of the following:

(a) appoint the time and place for an inquest, if any;

(b) allow any person to participate in the conference or any part of it by means of a telephonic or audio-visual link;

(c) invite or allow disinterested persons to attend and participate in the conference if the chair reasonably considers that they may be able to contribute something of value, such as expert or special knowledge, to the conference proceedings;

(d) if the chair reasonably considers that the conference or any part of it should be held in private, direct any person to leave, or not to enter, the conference venue;

(e) adjourn the conference from time to time or from place to place;

(f) such other thing as the chair considers necessary or expedient having regard to the purpose of the conference.

(7)  Except as otherwise provided by this rule of court, the chair of the conference may regulate his or her own proceedings.

(8)  The chair of the conference, if he or she is not the coroner conducting the investigation, is to provide a written report about the conference and its outcome to –

(a) that coroner; and

(b) on request, the Chief Magistrate.

(9)  The Chief Magistrate may authorise the public release of the report.