UPDATED 5.38PM: A law expert's calling for a rethink on the way the rules around reporting suicide are written.

Wellington lawyer Graeme Edgeler has put his case at parliamentary hearings on proposed changes to the Coroners Act.

He's highlighting how people need to go to the Chief Coroner for permission to report details around suicide.

Mr Edgeler cites the Napier siege as an example - he says media should have had to seek permission to be able to report how the siege ended, but of course they didn't.

"No-one has ever been charged with this offence. And someone suggesting that pinning your hopes on a law no-one is ever going to enforce or ever wants to enforce isn't the right way of doing it."

Mr Edgeler says the law at the moment would require people, who discuss a friend's suicide on Facebook, to get permission from the Chief Coroner.

"It's ludicrous to suggest that the Chief Coroner should be pre-vetting Facebook comments."

The Media Freedom Committee has also made a submission, with spokesman Clive Lind saying they want to see more openness on the reporting of suicide and they feel it's unlikely to bring about more suicides.

"Why do less restrictive countries, notably Australia and Britain have lower levels of suicide. There may be other factors, but clearly more open media reporting and a lower suicide rate are not mutually exclusive."

But Chief Coroner, Judge Deborah Marshall, favours the current recommendations as they've been drafted.

"It's a very tricky area and most responsible media take steps to make sure they don't offend against the current act, and I would like that to stay."

 LISTEN: Clive Lind - spokesperson for the Media Freedom Committee