---
title: "Work out whether a death is reportable and whether an inquest is mandatory"
url: "https://ailawframework.com/practice/coronial-inquests/work-out-whether-a-death-is-reportable-and-whether-an-inquest-is-mandato"
type: "task"
site: "AI Law Framework"
id: "A61-OB20261022-1"
practice_area: "Coronial Inquests"
tier: "yellow"
lawyer_review: "required"
last_reviewed: "2026-10-25"
---

# Work out whether a death is reportable and whether an inquest is mandatory

> From the police report, the medical report of death and the lawyer's instructions, set out the facts that bear on whether the death is reportable and whether an inquest is required: the place and circumstances, any…

Canonical page: https://ailawframework.com/practice/coronial-inquests/work-out-whether-a-death-is-reportable-and-whether-an-inquest-is-mandato  
Last reviewed: 2026-10-25

Site index for agents: https://ailawframework.com/llms.txt

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Practice area | [Coronial Inquests](https://ailawframework.com/practice/coronial-inquests.md) |
| Human involvement | Yellow: Lawyer and AI draft together |
| How AI is used | From the police report, the medical report of death and the lawyer's instructions, set out the facts that bear on whether the death is reportable and whether an inquest is required: the place and circumstances, any custody, detention or police operation, any health-related procedure, and what the evidence does and does not disclose about identity, date, place, cause and manner. Cite the statutory test that each fact is said to meet. Do not decide the classification. |
| What the lawyer must review | The lawyer decides which Coroners Act applies, whether the death is reportable, whether a senior coroner has exclusive jurisdiction, and whether an inquest is mandatory or may be dispensed with. The lawyer does not treat a bench-book summary as a substitute for the section. |
| Written for / versions | 3 jurisdiction versions below |

## Checking plan

**Lawyer review required**

The responsible lawyer reviews the classification against the statute that applies and the source documents.

- What the AI does: From the police report, the medical report of death and the lawyer's instructions, set out the facts that bear on whether the death is reportable and whether an inquest is required: the place and circumstances, any custody, detention or police operation, any health-related procedure, and what the evidence does and does not disclose about identity, date, place, cause and manner. Cite the statutory test that each fact is said to meet. Do not decide the classification.
- What the lawyer does: The lawyer decides which Coroners Act applies, whether the death is reportable, whether a senior coroner has exclusive jurisdiction, and whether an inquest is mandatory or may be dispensed with. The lawyer does not treat a bench-book summary as a substitute for the section.
- Who reviews: Responsible lawyer with competence in the matter
- Basis: Practical workflow informed by the linked primary sources; the traffic light and working checks are editorial guidance, not a court classification.
- Why: The level reflects what the work is, the consequence of an error, and how much of the output the lawyer must independently re-derive.

## Checks the lawyer makes

1. Read section 6 and section 27 of the Act that applies, not only the extracted note.
2. Check each custody, police-operation or health-procedure fact against the police or hospital report.
3. Do not describe a death of a child or a person in disability accommodation as a mandatory inquest unless the section opened for that State says so.
4. Where the person who died was a First Nations person, read the State Coroner's protocol the bench book describes before the timetable is set.

## Notes

- These are suggested working checks. Confirm the required checking with the responsible lawyer before work starts; the checking approach does not establish permission to use AI.
- The Victorian mandatory-inquest provisions were not opened. Do not state a Victorian category from this note.

## Sources

- [Coroners Act 2009 (NSW) s 27, when an inquest is required](https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca2009120/s27.html) (checked 2026-10-22)
- [Judicial Commission of NSW, Local Court Bench Book, Coronial matters](https://www.judcom.nsw.gov.au/publications/benchbks/local/coronial_matters.html) (checked 2026-10-22)

## Jurisdiction versions

| Jurisdiction | Level |
| --- | --- |
| [New South Wales](https://ailawframework.com/practice/coronial-inquests/work-out-whether-a-death-is-reportable-and-whether-an-inquest-is-mandato/new-south-wales.md) | Yellow |
| [Victoria](https://ailawframework.com/practice/coronial-inquests/work-out-whether-a-death-is-reportable-and-whether-an-inquest-is-mandato/victoria.md) | Yellow |
| [Queensland](https://ailawframework.com/practice/coronial-inquests/work-out-whether-a-death-is-reportable-and-whether-an-inquest-is-mandato/queensland.md) | Yellow |

*Practice guidance for planning and review. Confirm current primary sources and the requirements of the actual matter. This is general information, not legal advice.*