Coroner

When is a death reported to the Coroner

A death will be reported to the Coroner if (one of the following):

• no doctor has treated the deceased during their last illness
• the doctor looking after the patient did not see them in the last 14 days before or after death
• the death happened during an operation or while someone was recovering from anaesthetic
• the death was sudden, unexplained or happened under suspicious circumstances
• the death might have been caused by an industrial injury or disease
• the death might have been caused by accident, violence, neglect, abortion or poisoning
• the death happened in police custody or in prison
• the death happened in a hospital less than 24 hours after admission

What the Coroner will do

When a death is referred to the Coroner, they will either:

• decide no action is needed and inform the Registrar to continue with the death registration
• decide to hold a post mortem examination, in which case a Form 100B will be issued by the Coroner to the Registrar to be used instead of a medical cause of death certificate
• decide to hold an inquest (the Coroner's Office will advise you what to do in these circumstances)

Contact the Coroner

Phone:

Email: