Coronial Matters

Question 1

A P79A (Report to the Coroner) must be submitted when…?

Answer 1

• Violent or unnatural death
• Sudden death, the cause of which is unknown
• Under suspicious or unusual circumstances
• Medical practitioner has not issued a ‘cause of death’ certificate
• Not having been to a medical practitioner for 6 months
• Where death was an unexpected outcome of a health related procedure (including the administration of anesthetic or sedative)
• Motor vehicle collision
• In Police custody or attempting to escape Police/lawful custody
• During Police operations
• While in, or temporarily absent from (while an inmate):
  a) mental hospital
  b) residential child care centre
  c) Community welfare centre
  d) Juvenile detention centre
  e) Prison
  f) Handicapped persons residential centre

Question 2

What must a Coroners brief include?

Answer 2

• OIC statement:
• Chronological order
• Can include opinion
• History of the deceased (medical/criminal/background)
• Hearsay
• Summary of all evidence
• Photographs
• Identification statement
• Copy of the P79A
• Notebook entries
• Police statements
• Expert statements
• Medical records