As of November 2023, the Coroners Court bench now sits at 22 permanent coroners (including the Chief and the Deputy Chief Coroner), eight relief coroners, and eight newly appointed associate coroners, at a total of 38.

Coroners are supported the by the Coronial Services Unit at the Ministry of Justice.

The Coroners Court is governed by the Coroners Act 2006.

  • What a coroner does

    Police always inform a coroner when someone dies unexpectedly, violently or in suspicious circumstances.

  • Chief Coroner & coroners

    Coroners are like judges. They are qualified lawyers appointed as judicial officers to look into unexpected, violent or suspicious deaths to find out what happened.

  • Coronial Services

    Coronial Services is part of the Ministry of Justice.

  • Practice notes

    The Chief Coroner issues practice notes to inform coroners and to achieve consistency in coronial decision-making and other coronial conduct.

  • Concurrent office or employment protocol

    This is the protocol to be followed by a coroner in conducting their personal and extrajudicial activities to minimise the risk of conflict with the obligations and performance of judicial office.

  • Recusal guidelines

    The recusal guidelines have been developed by the chief coroner, in consultation with the Attorney-General, pursuant to s107A of the Coroners Act 2006, to assist coroners to decide if they should recuse themselves from an inquiry.

  • Request information

    You might be able to request information from individual coronial case files, or statistical data about coronial cases.

  • Declaring a missing person legally dead

    The High Court or a coroner can declare a person legally dead if they’ve gone missing.

  • Finding human bones

    If you find bones that you think may be human, leave the bones in place and tell the police.

  • Sudden death from genetic heart disorder

    When a heart muscle problem is found, up to half of family members will be expected to carry the same gene. Once doctors identify people at risk, they can be helped.

  • Forms

    Coronial request and application forms.

  • Annual Reports

    Coronial Services annual reports.

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