The coroners court and public communications: delivering the prevention message

The unique position of the Coroners Court within the justice system is exemplified by the ongoing death and fire prevention activities undertaken by the court through the publication of coroners? findings and recommendations. In Victoria, publication is mandated through legislation and serves to promote public health and safety activities within the community. Public agencies and entities are also statutorily required to respond publicly and to demonstrate what, if any, actions they have taken to address the issues identified in the coroner?s recommendations. The publication of these responses on a public website puts these agencies on notice that their actions have been officially noted and that the information is available to other potential parties to legal proceedings. Statistics from the Coroners Court of Victoria suggest that the use of the publication website is increasing and that significant numbers of responses to coroners? recommendations are being received and published.