Section 45-16-23. Delegation of power by coroner or county medical examiner; qualifications of those authorized to perform examinations

   (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, any coroner or county medical examiner may delegate to a local medical examiner, forensic consultant, or medical examiner's investigator the power to perform those duties of such coroner or medical examiner specified in this Code section if the person to whom such power is thus delegated meets the applicable requirements of this Code section for the performance of such duties, but the performance of those delegated duties shall not in any manner infringe upon or diminish the authority of the peace officer in charge at the scene of the crime.

(b) A local medical examiner shall be a licensed physician appointed by the state medical examiner to perform scene investigations, external examinations, limited dissections, autopsies, or any combination of such duties.

(c) A forensic consultant shall be an expert in a field of forensic science, including but not limited to odontology or anthropology, appointed and authorized by the state medical examiner to examine human remains and evidence under the medical examiner's jurisdiction.

(d) A medical examiner's investigator shall be a person employed by a medical examiner to perform duties of such medical examiner with the same authority as the medical examiner while at the scene of death and during subsequent investigation, except that no medical examiner's investigator is authorized to make any arrest or perform official external examinations, limited dissections, or autopsies.

Ga. L. 1953, Jan.-Feb. Sess., p. 602, § 24; Ga. L. 1990, p. 1735, § 3.