Coronial law

This unit examines the doctrines, procedures and theories of coronial law in Australia. It introduces students to the coronial investigation process into sudden, unexpected, violent and accidental deaths, and the role of the coroner in determining the facts of death: the who, when, where, what and how a person died. The unit will discuss the benefits and limits of the coronial jurisdiction, the significance of the inquest as a public hearing, and the scope and powers of the coroner. It will also examine the history of the coronial jurisdiction, compare Australian laws with other common law jurisdictions, and assess the extent to which coroners can offer recommendations for preventing avoidable deaths in the future. You may explore topics, such as coronial inquests into deaths in custody, socio-legal implications of non-invasive autopsies, intersections between coronial investigations, death registration systems and organ donations, and the therapeutic potentials of the coronial jurisdiction.