Coroners Service

Investigations & Inquests

Investigations and Inquests – What Occurs

All deaths that are unnatural, unexpected, unexplained or unattended must be reported to a coroner. Upon receiving a report of a death, the coroner begins an investigation, which ends in one of three ways:

Natural Death

If the coroner determines that the death was due to a natural disease process, the Coroner will contact the personal physician  of the deceased to obtain information on medical history. If it is confirmed that the death is natural, the responsibility for completing the medical death certificate remains with the physician.

Coroner’s Investigation

An investigation is conducted and a coroner’s report is written.
When a death is reported to the Coroner, he/she has the authority to collect information, conduct interviews, inspect and seize documents and secure the scene.

Upon conclusion, the facts as determined by the investigation, are released on a report.  It sets out the coroner’s findings,  including a cause of death and whenever possible, recommendations to prevent future deaths. For a copy of the coroner's report contact the regional coroner office in your area.

Note: An investigation may be reopened on the grounds that new evidence has arisen or has been discovered.  An application to reopen an investigation is made by writing a letter to the Chief Coroner outlining the new evidence.

Coroner’s Inquest

An inquest is held and a Verdict of Inquest is written.
Inquests are formal court proceedings, with a five-person jury, held to publicly review the circumstances of a death. The jury hears evidence from witnesses under subpoena in order to determine the facts of the death. The presiding coroner is responsible to ensure the jury maintains the goal of fact finding, not fault finding.

An inquest is held if the coroner determines that it would be beneficial in: addressing community concern about a death, assisting in finding information about the deceased or circumstances around a death and or drawing attention to a cause of death if such awareness can prevent future deaths.

An inquest is mandatory if the deceased was in the care or control or a police officer or in a police lock-up at the time of their death.

Upon conclusion, a written report, the Verdict at Inquest is prepared. It includes the classification of the death and whenever possible recommendations of the jury on how to prevent a similar death. For a copy of the Verdict at Inquest contact the regional coroner office in your area.

Inquests – Scheduled

The following is a list of upcoming inquests. Click the deceased name for inquest information. For some inquests additional documents are also posted. All posted documents are Adobe Acrobat files [PDF].

Inquests – To Be Announced

Inquests – Archive

• 2007 Inquest Schedule

Media Guide to attending Inquests

The Media Information Guide to a Coroner's Inquest is for members of the media who are attending a coroner’s inquest.

The intent of this information package is to:

• Provide an overview of coroner’s inquests in general
• Provide guidelines and requirements for the media
• Allow for the regular, daily work of the local courthouse, or other venue, to continue without disruption

Download the Media Information Guide to a Coroner's Inquest