The Coroner's responsibility

The Coroner is a Judicial Officer who must be advised when a person dies apparently from unnatural causes or where the cause of death is not known.

Once a report of death is received, usually from the police, doctors or hospital authorities, the Coroner has legal control over the body of the deceased person and must establish:

• The manner in which the death arose;
• The cause of death;
• The particulars needed to register the death; and
• The identity of the deceased.

In some cases the Coroner may comment and make recommendations about public health or safety or the administration of justice, to help prevent similar deaths happening.

There does not have to be anything suspicious about the death for the Coroner to be involved. Many investigations involve people who have died of natural causes.