Prictor Megan
La Trobe University School of Law, Bundoora, Australia.
J Law Med. 2012 Dec;20(2):320-32.
Recent changes in coronial law in Australian jurisdictions have enabled inquests to adopt an expanded scope and have facilitated the participation of family members and other interested parties. Public interest bodies have increasingly sought to have input to coronial policy and practice. This article examines the involvement by public interest organisations in Australian inquests over recent years. These organisations adopt various roles in inquests, including the representation and support of family members of the deceased, and the pursuit of policy and legislative changes. A further role is that of participation in specific inquests as an "interested party", in order to provide relevant expertise, shape the scope of the inquiry, and illuminate systemic issues which may have contributed to a death. This article considers the legal framework for the involvement of public interest organisations, and critically reflects upon the main purposes and effects of such intervention.
澳大利亚各司法辖区近期对死因裁判法的修订，使得死因调查的范围得以扩大，并为家庭成员及其他利益相关方的参与提供了便利。公益机构越来越多地寻求参与死因裁判政策及实践。本文探讨了近年来公益组织在澳大利亚死因调查中的参与情况。这些组织在死因调查中扮演着各种角色，包括代表和支持死者家属，以及推动政策和立法变革。另一个角色是作为“利益相关方”参与特定的死因调查，以提供相关专业知识，确定调查范围，并揭示可能导致死亡的系统性问题。本文考虑了公益组织参与的法律框架，并对这种干预的主要目的和效果进行了批判性反思。
