Coroner's Office

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:26): Final supplementary: does the Attorney-General have concerns that delays in reports that have been filed with the Coroner are also having an impact on families who are trying to finalise deceased estates?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:26): I thank the honourable member for his question. It is a question that is raised from time to time with my office, and I certainly have personally spoken to a number of family members of deceased people. There is a provision—I can't remember what it's called at the moment—effectively to issue an interim death certificate to allow exactly that to occur, so that when there are very complicated potential coronial inquests that will take some time to allow as far as possible things like the finalisation of estates.

It is also the case as well that—I know from talking to family members who have loved ones the subject of coronial inquests—not just the finalisation of estates but wanting to know what happened to their loved one causes distress and concern. I have spoken to the Coroner about ways we could look at making things more effective and efficient in South Australia, because, as the honourable member indicated, it is the finalisation of estates but also wanting to know exactly what has happened.