The 2006 Report of the Law Reform Committee of the Victorian Parliament into the Coroners Act 1985 (Vic) is a substantial and visionary document which has the potential to take coronial law reform in important new directions. It draws upon a range of reforms trialled in other jurisdictions, but proposes to consolidate a new role for the coroner as a public health official with a formally acknowledged focus on facilitating avoidance of avoidable deaths. Some of its Shipman-inspired proposals require further consideration but the general tenor of the Report - to recognise the distinctive functions of inquests and their potential to alleviate community concerns, respond to family members' needs and reduce the potential for dangerous conduct--deserves support.
Griffith R, Tengnah C. Griffith R, et al. Br J Community Nurs. 2008 Apr;13(4):183-6. doi: 10.12968/bjcn.2008.13.4.29028. Br J Community Nurs. 2008. PMID: 18595312
Lynch MJ, Woodford NW. Lynch MJ, et al. J Law Med. 2007 May;14(4):463-8. J Law Med. 2007. PMID: 17571780
Jentzen JM, Ernst MF. Jentzen JM, et al. Clin Lab Med. 1998 Jun;18(2):279-322. Clin Lab Med. 1998. PMID: 9614588 Review.
Harris A. Harris A. Med Sci Law. 2017 Jul;57(3):152-157. doi: 10.1177/0025802417704103. Epub 2017 Jul 3. Med Sci Law. 2017. PMID: 28669277 Review.
Dartnall S, Goodman-Delahunty J, Gullifer J. Dartnall S, et al. Front Psychol. 2019 Nov 12;10:2322. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02322. eCollection 2019. Front Psychol. 2019. PMID: 31780975 Free PMC article.