Question Time

Coroner's Court

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI (Leader of the Opposition) (14:18): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney-General a question about the Coroner.

Leave granted.

The Hon. N.J. CENTOFANTI: Today, the co-chair of the Criminal Law Committee of the Law Society of South Australia said on radio, in reference to the Coroner's Court, that 'there needs to be additional funding so that matters can be expedited in that jurisdiction'. My questions to the Attorney-General are:

1. What is the average time, from start to finish, of referral to the Coroner's Court to an outcome?

2. How many cases are currently pending within the Coroner's Court?

3. What is the average wait time before a case is heard?

4. Will the Attorney heed the calls from the Law Society to increase the funding so that matters can be expedited in that jurisdiction?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:19): I thank the honourable member for her question. I suspect there would be answers to these questions in the Report on Government Services, which comes out in January or February of each year progressively for different areas of public administration, which outlines a series—although they are difficult for direct comparisons with other jurisdictions—of times throughout court systems.

I think it includes jurisdictions like the Coroner, but I am happy to double-check that and if that is not already publicly available through the Report on Government Services, or, indeed, as many of these are requested and tabled through the estimates process, I am happy to see what I can bring back to the chamber if it's not already on the public record.

In relation to resources for the Coroner's Court, I am exceptionally pleased to be able to inform the chamber that early this morning at Executive Council there was an additional Deputy Coroner appointed. It would have been gazetted only in the last couple of hours, to have an extra Deputy Coroner to help with the workload at the Coroner's Court. I am very pleased to have this question from the opposition. Again, it's usually the sort of question I would be asked by one of my government colleagues about the extra resources we are providing as a government, but it is a very pleasing investment.