Week 4: Coroners

Question 1

What are the two main areas that Coroners investigate?

Answer 1

Deaths and Fires/Explosions.

Sending cops event for fire explosion and disseminate to the coroner.

Question 2

6 Functions of the Coroner: DIE JAP

Answer 2

• Disaster management
• Investigatory: Gives police powers and investigation directions to police officers on behalf of the coroner
• Educational: Educates and works with external agencies such as police, lawyers, nurses and doctors and medical students.
• Judicial: make decisions as to outcome of a death or fire. They have their own powers that are not bound by rules of evidence.
• Administrative: Own office and staff that investigate deaths and fires.
• Preventative: Recommendations may be made to prevent similar fatalities/fires in the future.

Question 3

How the coroner is alerted of a death:

Answer 3

• P79A form

- P79B is a missing person who’d body has not been located.

Question 4

Section 35 of Coroners act 2009

Answer 4

Obligation to report death or suspected death to the coroner.

Question 5

What is a reportable death?

Answer 5

(a) the person died a violent or unnatural death,
(b) the person died a sudden death the cause of which is unknown,
(c) the person died under suspicious or unusual circumstances,
(d) the person died in circumstances where the person had not been attended by a medical
practitioner during the period of 6 months immediately before the person’s death,
(e) the person died in circumstances where the person’s death was not the reasonably
expected outcome of a health-related procedure carried out in relation to the person,
(f) the person died while in or temporarily absent from a declared mental health facility

Question 6

Section 23 of Coroners Act 2009

Answer 6

Gives senior coroners jurisdiction to investigate the death as a result of police association:

• deaths in custody
• detention centre
• during a lock up
• police operation

Question 7

Section 24 of Coroners Act 2009

Answer 7

Senior Coroners to hold an inquest in relation to a child or disabled person

Question 8

Section 53 Coroners Act 2009

Answer 8

Power for the coroner to request documents for an inquest.

Question 9

Power to establish Coronial Investigation Scene

Answer 9

41: Power to establish
42: Power to use powers.

Question 10

What types of inquests are mandatory? MMPD

Answer 10

Murders
Minister of state coroner direction
Police critical incidents
Deaths in custody.