13 JUNE 07

The Chief Coroner, Judge Neil MacLean is pleased to advise of the appointment of two full-time Relief Coroners.

They are:

GARRY EVANS of Wellington and SARN HERDSON of Auckland. Both are Coroners warranted under the 1988 Coroners Act who have been acting as Coroners for many years.

Mr Evans had initially declined the offer of appointment as a Relief Coroner but following the overwhelming public support he has become aware of, has agreed to the new appointment to give him a further opportunity to serve the community.

Sarn Herdson has been one of two full-time salaried Coroners based in Auckland. She had initially declined the opportunity to become one of the three full-time coroners in Auckland but has accepted appointment as a short term full-time Relief Coroner.

Both Coroners will be formally sworn in during Orientation next week.

The Chief Coroner is delighted that both Mr Evans and Miss Herdson have accepted appointment as full-time Relief Coroners. Their primary focus will be as an additional resource to assist the Chief Coroner initially with the backlog of existing work and then as a flexible resource to cover for unexpected and other absences of the newly appointed full-time Coroners.

ENDS

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