Resources and legislation

State coroner's guidelines

• Outline (PDF, 120.7 KB)
• Chapter 1: Introduction and the scope of the coroner's role (PDF, 41.1 KB)
• Chapter 2: The rights and interests of family members (PDF, 64.7 KB)
• Chapter 3: Reporting deaths (PDF, 283.6 KB)
• Chapter 4: Dealing with bodies (PDF, 103.7 KB)
• Chapter 5: Preliminary investigations, autopsies and retained tissue (PDF, 442.8 KB)
• Chapter 6: Release of bodies for burial or cremation (PDF, 339.7 KB)
• Chapter 7: Investigations (PDF, 832.2 KB)
• Chapter 8: Findings (PDF, 467.8 KB)
• Chapter 9: Inquests (PDF, 462.5 KB)
• Chapter 10: Access to coronial information (PDF, 134.8 KB)
• Chapter 11: Memoranda of understanding (PDF, 378.1 KB)

Publications

• Coronial investigations and the police response:
  • Arabic (PDF, 2.0 MB)
  • Chinese (PDF, 228.0 KB)
  • English (PDF, 251.9 KB)
  • Farsi (PDF, 194.2 KB)
  • Hindi (PDF, 307.6 KB)
  • Indonesian (PDF, 138.3 KB)
  • Japanese (PDF, 2.5 MB)
  • Korean (PDF, 335.7 KB)
  • Vietnamese (PDF, 177.1 KB)
• Queensland Government's response to coronial recommendations:
  • 2012 (PDF, 1.9 MB)
  • 2011 (PDF, 616.8 KB)
  • 2010 (PDF, 655.2 KB)
  • 2009 (PDF, 1008.6 KB)
  • 2008 (PDF, 509.0 KB)
• When is a COVID-19 death reportable to the coroner (PDF, 191.8 KB)
• Ongoing inquests - monthly report (PDF, 168.2 KB)
• Information for health professionals (PDF, 402.0 KB)
• A death in the workplace - A guide for family and friends (PDF, 1.6 MB)
• Deaths in care (disability) – Expert Review Panel Final Report (PDF, 814.8 KB)
• Deaths in care (PDF, 428.2 KB)
• Deaths of aged care residents (PDF, 339.1 KB)
• Issuing cause of death certificates for apparent natural causes deaths – a guide for Queensland medical practitioners (PDF, 98.5 KB)
• Deaths of people with a disability information sheet (PDF, 122.9 KB)
• Funeral assistance information sheet (PDF, 115.5 KB)

Maps

• Coronial boundaries - List by suburb (XLS, 642.5 KB)
• Map of regional coronial boundaries (PDF, 9.7 MB)

Legislation

• Coroners Act 2003
• Coroners Regulation 2015—information about fees
• Cremations Act 2003—regulates the process of cremating human remains
• Births Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 2003—information about death certificates
• Burials Assistance Act 1965—provides for the burial or cremation of deceased people who have no assets or anyone that can pay for or organise a funeral
• Recording of Evidence Regulation 2008—information about fees and obtaining court transcripts.

Useful agencies

Queensland services

• Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services
• Queensland Police Stations
• Standby Suicide Service (suicide bereavement programs for people who live in the north Brisbane police and ambulance districts)
• Lifeline
• Kids Helpline
• Reach Out
• SIDS and Kids
• Victims Counselling and Support Services
• Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group
• Objections to autopsy (Queensland University of Technology)
• The Compassionate Friends, Qld Inc.
• Salvos Careline
• Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention (Griffith University)
• Victims Assist Queensland
• Legal Aid Queensland
• Queensland Law Society
• Queensland Funeral Directors Association
• Australian Funeral Directors Association
• Queensland State Archives
• Asia Pacific Coroners Society
• Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine
• Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia
• National Coronial Information System (NCIS)
• Removal of sperm from a deceased person for IVF (Queensland Health)
• Body Donation Program (The University of Queensland)
• DisasterAssist

Other state and territory coronial services

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia