---
title: O.C.G.A. § 45-16-27.1. Medical examination of unexpected or unexplained death of person under seven years of age.
collection: code
id: 45-16-27.1
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 45-16-27.1 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/45-16-27.1
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/45-16-27.1.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/45-16-27.1/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t45-(v33)-2016-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=cde47f8a_0#page=454
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: PUBLIC OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES / CORONERS / DEATH INVESTIGATIONS
---

# O.C.G.A. § 45-16-27.1. Medical examination of unexpected or unexplained death of person under seven years of age.

(a) Where a coroner or county medical examiner has been notified pursuant to paragraph (6) of subsection (a) of Code Section 45-16-24 of the death of any person after birth but before seven years of age whose death is unexpected or unexplained, the medical examiner’s inquiry required by Code Section 45-16-25 shall include an autopsy unless that inquiry shows that such death was expected or explainable with a reasonable degree of medical certainty.

(b) The provisions of this Code section shall apply notwithstanding subsection (b) of Code Section 45-16-22 or any other provision of this article.

## History

Code 1981, § 45-16-27.1, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 1735, § 3; Ga. L. 2002, p. 415, § 45.

## Law Reviews

For note on 1990 enactment of this Code section, see 7 Ga. St. U.L. Rev. 268 (1990).