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Inside the court

An inquest is a court hearing into a single death, multiple deaths or a fire. It is heard by a coroner and is generally open to the public. While every reportable death is the subject of an investigation, inquests or public hearings are only required in a small number of investigations.

If an inquest is held, many people may be required to attend court. Find out more about who might need to attend court, and what role they will play.

People of the court

Many people may be present in the court for a hearing or inquest, depending on the case.

For experts

As part of the investigation, the coroner may ask an external expert to provide an opinion on the circumstances around a death or fire.

For witnesses

You may be asked to give evidence or produce material to the court as part of an inquest.

For interested parties

If you have information relevant to an investigation, or may  be affected by the coroner's findings, you can apply to be an interested party.

For legal professionals

Like other courts, we have a suite of forms to help guide you through our processes.

Courtroom etiquette

Visitors to the court will be required to comply with the court's security arrangements and adhere to several requirements.