Sudden Death Flashcards
Section 8 ‘Reportable death defined’ - Coroner’s Act 2003 requires police to report certain deaths, is this a reportable death
Yes.
Referring to O.P.M. 8.4.5 ‘Identification of Deceased’, what is the method generally used to formally identify the deceased person
Visual identification of the body by a relative of the deceased.
Who can complete a life extinct form?
Registered Nurse, Paramedic at the scene, doctor at the hospital.
For First Response actions when police officers arrive at the scene of a sudden death a number of factors will be considered. After confirming that it is safe for an officer to approach the body and with reference to the Order in O.P.M. 8.4.2, what’s important now?
Be satisfied the person has died.
Cover the body if in view of the public without interfering with the crime scene integrity
Secure the scene in keeping with First responders procedures
PPRA s596 ‘Entry of place on suspicion of death or injury’
What powers do you have as a police officer?
1) The police officer may enter the place to find out whether someone in the place is dead or in need of urgent medical treatment.
2) If a person at the place is found dead or in need of urgent medical treatment, the police officer may remain at the place for only as long as is necessary to ensure that anything necessary to be done for the person is done.
A police Officer may only issue a Life Extinct Form in certain circumstances as per O.P.M. 8.4.4. What are these circumstances?
Officers may only issue a QP 0001 in cases of ‘obvious deaths’.
The definition of ‘obvious deaths’ is where the state of the body is clearly incompatible with life, such as:
(i) severe incineration has caused charring and blackening of most of the body surface, with exposure of
underlying tissues in some areas;
(ii) extensive trauma has caused decapitation, severance of the torso, disruption of vital organ, (e.g. brain), or
fragmentation of the body;
(iii) well established decomposition has caused extensive discolouration of the skin, bloating of the body, larval
infestation and partial exposure of the bones; or
(iv) advanced decomposition has exposed most of the skeleton.
Define a life extinct form?
Gives offical notice of life termination, issued by a doctor registered nurse, paramedic or police officer.
What is the purpose of an autopsy certificate.
issues by a pathologist and records the primary cause of death
What best defines a Cause of death certificate?
Issued by their deceased treating medical practitioner who is willing to state the reason that the person died.
What is a reportable death?
A death that satisfies section 8 of the coroners act and both subsection (2) and subsection (3) both apply.
(2) A death is a reportable death if—
(a) the death happened in Queensland; or
(b) although the death happened outside Queensland—
(i) the person’s body is in Queensland; or
(ii) at the time of death, the person ordinarily lived in Queensland; or
(iii) the person, at the time of death, was on a journey to or from somewhere in Queensland; or
(iv) the death was caused by an event that happened in Queensland.
(3) A death is a reportable death if—
(a) it is not known who the person is; or
(b) the death was a violent or otherwise unnatural death; or
(c) the death happened in suspicious circumstances; or
(d) the death was a health care related death; or
(e) a cause of death certificate has not been issued, and is
not likely to be issued, for the person; or
(f) the death was a death in care; or
(g) the death was a death in custody; or
(h) the death happened in the course of or as a result of police operations.
If you needed to attain statement because the death was suspicious, who would you get a statement from?
8.4.16 Statements
Statements should be obtained and submitted from all persons who have significant knowledge of the cause or
circumstances of the death.
statements should be obtained from, consider:
(i) the person who last saw the deceased alive;
(ii) the person who discovered the body;
(iii) any witnesses to the death;
(iv) any person who may provide information in relation to the scene of the death;
(v) ambulance officers who attended the scene or transported the deceased;
(vi) an expert who may be able to make comment on any particular matter or circumstance which has bearing on
the death; and
(vii) any person or member who was involved in the chain of identification.
Statements obtained in respect of a coronial matter may contain hearsay evidence and conversation in the third person.
Where possible, conversation should be in first person.
Explain PPRA section 597.
Powers for reportable deaths:
if a police officer attends a place where there is the body
of a deceased person; and the officer reasonably believes the person’s death is a death that must, under the Coroners Act 2003, be reported to a coroner.
We can:
1) arrange for the person’s body to be taken to a
mortuary where autopsies ordered by coroners are conducted.
2) may take reasonable steps to restrict entry to the
place for as long as is necessary to arrange for the person’s body to be taken to the mortuary.
3) may search for and seize anything at the place that
the officer reasonably suspects may be relevant to an
investigation of the death by a coroner.
4) may photograph the body, or anything else at the place that the officer reasonably suspects may be relevant to
5) an investigation of the death by a coroner.
may stay on the place and re-enter it for the time
reasonably necessary to do something permitted under this section.
Explain 598 of the PPRA?
Restricting entry to place to allow investigation.
Prescribed circumstances:
(a) a coroner is investigating a death at a place where—
(i) the death is believed to have happened; or
(ii) something that caused or contributed to the death is
believed to have happened; and
(b) the place is not a crime scene; and
(c) the coroner directs a police officer to restrict entry to the place.
(2) The officer may take reasonable steps to restrict entry to the place by anyone other than—
(a) a police officer or another person who is helping the
coroner investigate the death; or
(b) a person whose presence is needed to preserve life or property at the place; or
(c) someone who has the coroner’s permission to be at the place.
(3) The officer must not restrict entry to the place for any longer than is necessary for the investigation.
(4) A person must not enter a place to which entry is restricted, unless the person has a reasonable excuse.
What is the responsibilities of the investigating officer when removing the body?
Activate BWC Look for hazards (POP and COPS). Consider procedures for handling and searching bodies.
(i) arrange removal of the body;
(ii) ensure the removal is not prolonged unnecessarily; and
(iii) conduct a final search of the scene to ensure no human remains are left at the scene (this final search may be delayed in some circumstances e.g. until all the debris from an air crash site has been removed).
Explain the Coroners Act?
Establish the position of the state coroner
Require the reporting on particular deaths
Establish the procedures for investigations, including by holding inquests by coroners into particular deaths
