Coroners Court of Queensland

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Coroners Court of Queensland
Coat of Arms of Queensland.svg
Established 1958
Authorized by Queensland Parliament via the Coroners Act 2003 (Qld)
Decisions are appealed to District Court of Queensland
Number of positions 7
Website www.courts.qld.gov.au
State Coroner
Currently Mr Terry Ryan

The Coroners Court of Queensland is a court in the court hierarchy of Queensland, Australia. The Court has exclusive jurisdiction in Queensland over the remains of a person and to make findings about the cause of death of a person.

Queensland North-east state of Australia

Queensland is the second-largest and third-most populous state in the Commonwealth of Australia. Situated in the north-east of the country, it is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean. To its north is the Torres Strait, with Papua New Guinea located less than 200 km across it from the mainland. The state is the world's sixth-largest sub-national entity, with an area of 1,852,642 square kilometres (715,309 sq mi).

Autopsy surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse

An autopsy is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode and manner of death or to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present for research or educational purposes.. Autopsies are usually performed by a specialized medical doctor called a pathologist. In most cases, a medical examiner or coroner can determine cause of death and only a small portion of deaths require an autopsy.

Contents

Jurisdiction

A coroner will investigate a death where the identity of the deceased is not known; the death was violent or unnatural, such as accidents, falls, suicides or drug overdoses; the death happened in suspicious circumstances; a cause of death certificate has not been issued and is not likely to be issued; the death was a health care related death; the death occurred in care or custody (such as an aged care, correctional, mental health, or juvenile detention facility); or the death occurred as a result of the operations of Queensland Police. [1]

A coroner may conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death, and investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within the coroner's jurisdiction.

In law, medicine, and statistics, cause of death is an official determination of conditions resulting in a human's death, which may be recorded on a death certificate. A cause of death is determined by a medical examiner.

A coroner may decide to hold an inquest which has the powers of a court, compelling witnesses to give evidence before the Court, and in making findings can make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths. Cultural and family concerns are typically considered as part of any coronial investigation. [1]

An inquest is a judicial inquiry in common law jurisdictions, particularly one held to determine the cause of a person's death. Conducted by a judge, jury, or government official, an inquest may or may not require an autopsy carried out by a coroner or medical examiner. Generally, inquests are conducted only when deaths are sudden or unexplained. An inquest may be called at the behest of a coroner, judge, prosecutor, or, in some jurisdictions, upon a formal request from the public. A coroner's jury may be convened to assist in this type of proceeding. Inquest can also mean such a jury and the result of such an investigation. In general usage, inquest is also used to mean any investigation or inquiry.

Decisions made by the Coroners Court may be heard on appeal to the District Court of Queensland; and the Coroners Court has appellate jurisdiction where the investigating coroner declines a request for an inquest. [2]

District Court of Queensland

The District Court of Queensland is the second tier in the court hierarchy of Queensland, Australia. The Court deals with serious criminal offences such as rape, armed robbery and fraud. Juries are used to decide if defendants are guilty or not guilty.

Appellate jurisdiction is the power of an appellate court to review, amend and overrule decisions of a trial court or other lower tribunal. Most appellate jurisdiction is legislatively created, and may consist of appeals by leave of the appellate court or by right. Depending on the type of case and the decision below, appellate review primarily consists of: an entirely new hearing ; a hearing where the appellate court gives deference to factual findings of the lower court; or review of particular legal rulings made by the lower court.

Composition

Queensland has seven full-time coroners, presided over by the state coroner and the deputy state coroner, both based in Brisbane, and additional coroners who are located in Brisbane, Cairns, Mackay, and Southport.

Brisbane capital city of Queensland, Australia

Brisbane is the capital of and the most populated city in the Australian state of Queensland, and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of 2.5 million, and the South East Queensland region, centred on Brisbane, encompasses a population of more than 3.5 million. The Brisbane central business district stands on the historic European settlement and is situated inside a peninsula of the Brisbane River, about 15 kilometres from its mouth at Moreton Bay. The metropolitan area extends in all directions along the floodplain of the Brisbane River Valley between Moreton Bay and the Great Dividing Range, sprawling across several of Australia's most populous local government areas (LGAs)—most centrally the City of Brisbane, which is by far the most populous LGA in the nation. The demonym of Brisbane is "Brisbanite".

Cairns City in Queensland, Australia

Cairns is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia. It is on the east coast of Far North Queensland. The city is the 5th-most-populous in Queensland and ranks 14th overall in Australia.

Mackay, Queensland City in Queensland, Australia

Mackay is a city and its centre suburb in the Mackay Region on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. It is located about 970 kilometres (603 mi) north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's sugar.

See also

Judiciary of Australia

The judiciary of Australia comprises judges who sit in federal courts and courts of the States and Territories of Australia. The High Court of Australia sits at the apex of the Australian court hierarchy as the ultimate court of appeal on matters of both federal and State law.

Related Research Articles

Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove". In England and Wales, inquests are the responsibility of a coroner, who operates under the jurisdiction of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.

Supreme Court of Queensland

The Supreme Court of Queensland is the highest court in the Australian State of Queensland.

Coroners Court of New South Wales

The Coroner's Court of New South Wales is the court in the Australian state of New South Wales where legal proceedings, in the form of an inquest or inquiry, are held and presided over by the State Coroner of New South Wales, a Deputy State Coroner of New South Wales, or another coroner of the state of New South Wales.

The 2004 Palm Island death in custody incident relates to the death of Palm Island, Queensland resident, Cameron Doomadgee on Friday, 19 November 2004 in a police cell. The death of Mulrunji led to civic disturbances on the island and a legal, political and media sensation that continued for fourteen years.

A coroner's jury is a body convened to assist a coroner in an inquest, that is, in determining the identity of a deceased person and the cause of death. The laws on its role and function vary by jurisdiction.

The Coroner's Court of Western Australia is a court which has exclusive jurisdiction over the remains of a person and the power to make findings in respect of the cause of death of a person in Western Australia.

The name of "Coroners Court" is the generic name given to proceedings in which a Coroner holds an inquest in Victoria.

The Coroners Court of Tasmania is the generic name given to the Coronial Division of the Magistrates Court of Tasmania. It is a court which has exclusive jurisdiction over the remains of a person and the power to make findings in respect of the cause of death of a person, a fire or an explosion in Tasmania.

Coroners Court of South Australia South Australian court

The Coroner's Court of South Australia is a court which has exclusive jurisdiction over the remains of a person and the power to make findings in respect of the cause of death of a person or fire in South Australia, a state of Australia.

Coroners Court of the Australian Capital Territory

The Coroner's Court of the Australian Capital Territory is a court which has exclusive jurisdiction over the remains of a person and the power to make findings in respect of the cause of death of a person or fire in Australian Capital Territory.

The title of Coroners Court is the name given to proceedings in which a coroner holds an inquest or an inquiry in the Northern Territory.

Childrens Court of Queensland

The Children's Court of Queensland is a specialized court in Queensland, a state of Australia which deals with serious crimes committed by children under the age of seventeen years in the state.

Disappearance of Tony Jones

Anthony John "Tony" Jones was an Australian man who disappeared while backpacking in North Queensland in November 1982. The case garnered substantial mass media attention, with critics charging that police mishandled the investigation into Jones' disappearance.

Jet's Law is the first eponymous law to be created in the state of Queensland, Australia.

Death of Luke Borusiewicz

Luke Anthony Borusiewicz was a toddler in Queensland, Australia, who died while under foster care administered by the Department of Community Services (DOCS), an agency of the Department of Communities, Queensland.

INQUEST charitable trust, capitalised so as not to be confused with the legal process, is a charity concerned with state related deaths in England and Wales. It was founded in 1981. INQUEST is the only charity in the UK providing expertise on state related deaths, including deaths in custody, and their investigation to bereaved people, lawyers, advice and support agencies, the media and parliamentarians. Their policy, parliamentary, campaigning and media work is grounded in the day to day experience of working with bereaved people.

The National Coronial Information System (NCIS) is a national database of coronial information on every death reported a Coroner in Australia from July 2000 and New Zealand from July 2007.. It assists coroners, their staff, public sector agencies, researchers and other agencies in obtaining coronial data to inform death and injury prevention activities.

References

  1. 1 2 "Coroners Court". Courts. Queensland Government. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Coroners Act 2003 (Qld) s 30


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