(2) Whenever an inquiry or part thereof is not held in open court, the Coroner shall report his reasons for not so holding it to the Public Prosecutor.
Assessors
32.—(1) A Coroner may, if he considers it appropriate to do so, appoint not more than 2 assessors with skill and experience in the matter to which the inquiry relates to assist him in the hearing of any inquiry.
(2) Any assessor appointed under subsection (1) may sit with the Coroner in the hearing of the inquiry and has the power to advise but not to determine any matter relating to the inquiry.
(3) The remuneration of any assessor sitting in an inquiry shall be payable out of moneys provided by Parliament, at such rate as may be prescribed.
Evidence by conditioned statements
33.—(1) Notwithstanding anything in any written law, a written statement made by any person summoned as a witness in any inquiry is admissible as evidence at the inquiry to the same extent and to the same effect as oral evidence by the person, if the following conditions are satisfied:
- (a) the statement appears to be signed by the person who made it; and
- (b) the statement contains a declaration by the person to the effect that it is true to the best of his knowledge and belief and that he made the statement knowing that, if it were given in evidence, he would be liable to prosecution if he stated in it anything he knew to be false or did not believe to be true.
(2) The following provisions also apply to any written statement given in evidence under this section:
- (a) if the statement is made by a person below the age of 21 years, it shall state his age;
- (b) if it is made by a person who cannot read it, it shall be read to him before he signs it and shall be accompanied by a declaration by the person who read the statement to him, stating that it was so read; and
