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CORONERS ACT 2008 - NOTES

Version No. 031

No. 77 of 2008
Version incorporating amendments as at
1 July 2017

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Version No. 031

Coroners Act 2008

No. 77 of 2008
Version incorporating amendments as at
1 July 2017

Endnotes

    1     General information

See www.legislation.vic.gov.au for Victorian Bills, Acts and current authorised versions of legislation and up-to-date legislative information.

    Minister's second reading speech—

    Legislative Assembly: 9 October 2008

    Legislative Council: 13 November 2008

    The long title for the Bill for this Act was "A Bill for an Act to require the reporting of certain deaths, to provide for the investigation of deaths and fires by coroners in certain circumstances with the intention of finding the causes of deaths and fires and contributing to the reduction of the number of preventable deaths and fires, to establish the Coroners Court of Victoria and the Coronial Council of Victoria, to amend the Coroners Act 1985 to repeal the provisions relating to coroners and to rename that Act to continue to provide for the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and for other purposes."

The Coroners Act 2008 was assented to on 11 December 2008 and came into operation on 1 November 2009: section 2.

INTERPRETATION OF LEGISLATION ACT 1984 (ILA)

Style changes

Section 54A of the ILA authorises the making of the style changes set out in Schedule 1 to that Act.

References to ILA s. 39B

Sidenotes which cite ILA s. 39B refer to section 39B of the ILA which provides that where an undivided section or clause of a Schedule is amended by the insertion of one or more subsections or subclauses, the original section or clause becomes subsection or subclause (1) and is amended by the insertion of the expression "(1)" at the beginning of the original section or clause.

Interpretation

As from 1 January 2001, amendments to section 36 of the ILA have the following effects:

•     Headings

All headings included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any heading inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. This includes headings to Parts, Divisions or Subdivisions in a Schedule; sections; clauses; items; tables; columns; examples; diagrams; notes or forms. See section 36(1A)(2A).

•     Examples, diagrams or notes

All examples, diagrams or notes included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 form part of that Act. Any examples, diagrams or notes inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, form part of that Act. See section 36(3A).

•     Punctuation

All punctuation included in an Act which is passed on or after 1 January 2001 forms part of that Act. Any punctuation inserted in an Act which was passed before 1 January 2001, by an Act passed on or after 1 January 2001, forms part of that Act. See section 36(3B).

•     Provision numbers

All provision numbers included in an Act form part of that Act, whether inserted in the Act before, on or after 1 January 2001. Provision numbers include section numbers, subsection numbers, paragraphs and subparagraphs. See section 36(3C).

•     Location of "legislative items"

A "legislative item" is a penalty, an example or a note. As from 13 October 2004, a legislative item relating to a provision of an Act is taken to be at the foot of that provision even if it is preceded or followed by another legislative item that relates to that provision. For example, if a penalty at the foot of a provision is followed by a note, both of these legislative items will be regarded as being at the foot of that provision. See section 36B.

•     Other material

Any explanatory memorandum, table of provisions, endnotes, index and other material printed after the Endnotes does not form part of an Act.
See section 36(3)(3D)(3E).

    2     Table of Amendments

This publication incorporates amendments made to the Coroners Act 2008 by Acts and subordinate instruments.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Coroners Act 2008, No. 77/2008

Assent Date:

11.12.08

Commencement Date:

S. 128 on 1.11.10: s. 128; s. 130 on 1.11.10: s. 130

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Criminal Procedure Amendment (Consequential and Transitional Provisions) Act 2009, No. 68/2009

Assent Date:

24.11.09

Commencement Date:

S. 97(Sch. item 30) on 1.1.10: Government Gazette 10.12.09 p. 3215

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Statute Law Amendment (Evidence Consequential Provisions) Act 2009, No. 69/2009

Assent Date:

24.11.09

Commencement Date:

S. 54(Sch. Pt 1 item 11), (Sch. Pt 2 item 13) on 1.1.10: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Statute Law Amendment (National Health Practitioner Regulation) Act 2010, No. 13/2010

Assent Date:

30.3.10

Commencement Date:

S. 51(Sch. item 15) on 1.7.10: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Health and Human Services Legislation Amendment Act 2010, No. 29/2010

Assent Date:

8.6.10

Commencement Date:

S. 51 on 1.7.10: Special Gazette (No. 235) 23.6.10 p. 1

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Courts Legislation Miscellaneous Amendments Act 2010, No. 34/2010

Assent Date:

15.6.10

Commencement Date:

Ss 4–6 on 1.11.09: s. 2(2); ss 41–46 on 1.1.11: s. 2(5)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Severe Substance Dependence Treatment Act 2010, No. 43/2010

Assent Date:

10.8.10

Commencement Date:

S. 44 on 1.3.11: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Justice Legislation Further Amendment Act 2010, No. 64/2010

Assent Date:

28.9.10

Commencement Date:

S. 61 on 1.11.10: Government Gazette 21.10.10 p. 2530

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Statute Law Revision Act 2011, No. 29/2011

Assent Date:

21.6.11

Commencement Date:

S. 3(Sch. 1 item 18) on 22.6.11: s. 2(1)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Evidence Amendment (Journalist Privilege) Act 2012, No. 52/2012

Assent Date:

18.9.12

Commencement Date:

Ss 11–13 on 1.1.13: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Justice Legislation Amendment (Family Violence and Other Matters) Act 2012, No. 83/2012

Assent Date:

18.12.12

Commencement Date:

S. 39 on 20.12.12: Special Gazette (No. 444) 19.12.12 p. 1

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Courts Legislation Amendment (Reserve Judicial Officers) Act 2013, No. 5/2013

Assent Date:

26.2.13

Commencement Date:

Ss 57–61 on 27.2.13: s. 2(1)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2013, No. 31/2013

Assent Date:

4.6.13

Commencement Date:

Ss 12–18 on 1.8.13: Special Gazette (No. 272) 23.7.13 p. 1

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Children, Youth and Families Amendment Act 2013, No. 52/2013

Assent Date:

24.9.13

Commencement Date:

S. 80 on 1.12.13: Special Gazette (No. 419) 26.11.13 p. 1

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Open Courts Act 2013, No. 58/2013

Assent Date:

22.10.13

Commencement Date:

Ss 38–42 on 1.12.13: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Courts Legislation Amendment (Judicial Officers) Act 2013, No. 63/2013

Assent Date:

6.11.13

Commencement Date:

Ss 49–51, 82–85 on 1.2.14: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Court Services Victoria Act 2014, No. 1/2014

Assent Date:

11.2.14

Commencement Date:

S. 74 on 1.7.14: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2014, No. 17/2014

Assent Date:    

25.3.14

Commencement Date:

S. 160(Sch. 2 item 21) on 1.7.15: Special Gazette (No. 151) 16.6.15 p. 1

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Mental Health Act 2014, No. 26/2014

Assent Date:

8.4.14

Commencement Date:

S. 455(Sch. item 5) on 1.7.14: s. 2(1)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Victoria Police Amendment (Consequential and Other Matters) Act 2014, No. 37/2014

Assent Date:

3.6.14

Commencement Date:

S. 10(Sch. item 30) on 1.7.14: Special Gazette (No. 200) 24.6.14 p. 2

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Criminal Organisations Control and Other Acts Amendment Act 2014, No. 55/2014

Assent Date:

26.8.14

Commencement Date:

S. 143 on 31.10.14: Special Gazette (No. 330) 23.9.14 p. 1

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Children, Youth and Families Amendment (Permanent Care and Other Matters) Act 2014, No. 61/2014

Assent Date:

9.9.14

Commencement Date:

S. 165 on 1.3.16: s. 2(3)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Courts Legislation Miscellaneous Amendments Act 2014, No. 62/2014

Assent Date:

9.9.14

Commencement Date:

Ss 61–67, 69(1), 72, 74, 101–105 on 10.11.14: Special Gazette (No. 364) 14.10.14 p. 1; ss 68, 69(2), 70, 71 on 1.1.15: Special Gazette (No. 376) 21.10.14 p. 1; s. 73 on 1.9.15: s. 2(3)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2015, No. 20/2015

Assent Date:

16.6.15

Commencement Date:

S. 43 on 17.6.15: s. 2(3)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Justice Entitlements Act 2015, No. 29/2015

Assent Date:

11.8.15

Commencement Date:

Ss 49–52 on 12.8.15: s. 2(1)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Judicial Entitlements Act 2015, No. 29/2015

Assent Date:

11.8.15

Commencement Date:

Ss 87, 88 on 1.1.16: s. 2(3)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Justice Legislation Further Amendment Act 2016, No. 3/2016

Assent Date:

16.2.16

Commencement Date:

Ss 23, 106 on 1.5.16: Special Gazette (No. 114) 26.4.16 p. 1

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Aboriginal Heritage Amendment Act 2016, No. 11/2016

Assent Date:

5.4.16

Commencement Date:

Ss 138–140 on 1.8.16: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

Judicial Commission of Victoria Act 2016, No. 16/2016

Assent Date:

19.4.16

Commencement Date:

Ss 189, 190 on 1.7.17: s. 2(2)

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

    3     Amendments Not in Operation

This publication does not include amendments made to the Coroners Act 2008 by the following Act/s.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Family Violence Protection Amendment Act 2017, No. 19/2017

Assent Date:

16.5.17

Commencement Date:

Ss 42–45, 65 not yet proclaimed

Current State:

This information relates only to the provision/s amending the Coroners Act 2008

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
At the date of this publication, the following provisions amending the Coroners Act 2008 were Not in Operation:

Amending Act/s:

Family Violence Protection Amendment Act 2017, No. 19/2017

        42     Definitions

    (1)     In section 3(1) of the Coroners Act 2008, in the definition of "tissue", for "Act 1982." substitute "Act 1982;".

    (2)     In section 3(1) of the Coroners Act 2008 insert the following definition—

""VSRFVD "means the Victorian Systemic Review of Family Violence Deaths unit established under section 102U.".

        43     New Division 1C inserted in Part 8

After section 102S of the Coroners Act 2008 insert—

"Division 1C—Victorian Systemic Review of Family Violence Deaths unit

        102T     Definitions

In this Division—

"family violence" has the same meaning as in the Family Violence Protection Act 2008.

        102U     Establishment of the VSRFVD

The Victorian Systemic Review of Family Violence Deaths unit is established.

        102V     Membership of the VSRFVD

The VSRFVD consists of—

        (a)     the State Coroner; and

        (b)     any other persons appointed by the State Coroner.

        102W     Functions of the VSRFVD

The VSRFVD has the following functions—

        (a)     to examine deaths suspected to have resulted from family violence;

        (b)     to identify risks and contributory factors associated with deaths resulting from family violence;

        (c)     to identify trends and patterns in deaths resulting from family violence;

        (d)     to identify trends and patterns in responses to family violence;

        (e)     to provide coroners with information obtained through the exercise of the VSRFVD's functions described in paragraphs (a), (b), (c) and (d).".

        44     Publication of findings and reports

After section 73(1B) of the Coroners Act 2008 insert—

    "(2)     Section 166 of the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 does not apply to the publication under subsection (1) or (1A) of any relevant information if a coroner reasonably considers it is in the public interest to allow the publication of that information.

    (3)     Section 534 of the Children, Youth and Families Act 2005 does not apply to the publication under subsection (1) or (1A) of any relevant information if—

        (a)     a coroner reasonably considers that it is in the public interest to allow the publication of the information; and

        (b)     no person likely to be identified by the publication of the information is a child.

    (4)     In this section—

"relevant information" means—

        (a)     a locality or any particulars or picture likely to lead to the identification of the particular venue of the court for proceedings under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008; or

        (b)     any particulars or picture likely to lead to the identification of any person—

              (i)     who is a party to, or a witness in, proceedings under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008; or

              (ii)     who is the subject of an order under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008.".

        45     Annual report

After section 102(1)(a) of the Coroners Act 2008 insert—

    "(ab)         a review of the operation of the VSRFVD during that period; and".

        65     Section 73 amended

    (1)     After section 73(3) of the Coroners Act 2008 insert—

    "(3A)     This section applies in relation to publication of any relevant information relating to proceedings for the variation, extension or revocation of a non-local DVO that is a recognised DVO or to an application under Part 7 of the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme Act 2016 relating to a non‑local DVO subject to—

        (a)     any law that applies to publication about the non-local DVO in the issuing jurisdiction; and

        (b)     any order relating to publication of the non-local DVO made by a court of the issuing jurisdiction.".

    (2)     For section 73(4) of the Coroners Act 2008 substitute—

    "(4)     In this section—

"issuing jurisdiction" has the same meaning as in the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme Act 2016;

"non-local DVO" has the same meaning as in the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme Act 2016;

"recognised DVO" has the same meaning as in the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme Act 2016;

"relevant information" means—

        (a)     a locality or any particulars or picture likely to lead to the identification of the particular venue of the court for proceedings under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008 or the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme Act 2016; or

        (b)     any particulars or picture likely to lead to the identification of any person—

              (i)     who is a party to, or a witness in, a proceeding under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008; or

              (ii)     who is the subject of an order under the Family Violence Protection Act 2008; or

              (iii)     who is a party to, or a witness in, a proceeding for the variation, extension or revocation of a non-local DVO that is a recognised DVO or who is the subject of that non-local DVO; or

              (iv)     who is the applicant for a declaration under Part 7 of the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme Act 2016 or who is the subject of the non-local DVO in relation to which the application is made.".

    4     Explanatory details

[1] S. 94(3)(b)(ii): The amendment proposed by section 50(1) of the Judicial Entitlements Act 2015, No. 29/2015 is not included in this publication as the words "an acting" do not appear in section 94(3)(b)(ii).
Section 50(1) reads as follows:

        50     Appointment of coroners

    (1)     In section 94(3)(b)(ii) of the Coroners Act 2008 for "an acting" substitute "a".


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