Coronial & Inquests
5. Before the Inquest
Authors: Staff Legal Eagle
Firm / Chambers:
Last updated: 13 Jul 2015
- In preparation for the inquest the coroner will decide:
- who the parties are;
- what issues will be considered;
- what submissions will be considered;
- what evidence will be called;
- how long the inquest will take; and
- where the inquest will be held.
- An interested party can apply to participate in the inquest by writing to the Coroner’s Court. An interested party is a person or organisation who has a sufficient interest in the death. For example:
- family members;
- employers;
- a doctor who treated the person who has died;
- a community based organisation; or
- someone else who is interested in the death.
- In some cases the coroner may call a pre-inquest hearing. At this hearing the coroner will decide what issues and submissions will be considered at the inquest.
- If family members are not legally represented then they can ask the coroner’s assistant any questions and raise their concerns about the process. The coroner’s assistant is a specially trained police officer or lawyer.
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