Form · Coronial Inquests
Request for an inquest into a death (Coroners Court of Victoria Form 26)
Link to Coroners Court Form 26, the request for an inquest into a death. An inquest is a public hearing. It is not a trial, and the coroner does not find guilt or apportion blame.
- Kind
- Form. A form to complete, or a guide to completing an official one.
- Where it applies
- Victoria
- AI use
- Yellow You and the tool draft together, with you directing. You check every statement you rely on.
- Law stated as at
- 22 October 2026
- Status
- Maintained. Checked on 22 October 2026 against the official form at coronerscourt.vic.gov.au and the 3 authorities it cites, for Victoria.
- Version
- 1
- Source
- Link to the official form. Licence: © State of Victoria (Coroners Court of Victoria). Link only: download the current form from the official page each time; do not copy or adapt it.
Where this comes from
The official form is published by coronerscourt.vic.gov.au; this page is a completion guide. Last checked on 2026-10-22.
When to use it
Use when the family asks the Coroners Court of Victoria for an inquest into a death, or the coroner is considering whether to hold one. Contact the Court about the investigation before requesting an inquest. A refusal can be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Used for these tasks
Each task page says how far AI may help with the task and what the lawyer must review.
How AI may be used
AI may check the draft against the current official form and list what is missing; the lawyer settles every statement that will be filed and signs or lodges the form.
AI may
- Check the draft is the current version of the form and list every blank field or missing attachment
- Index the documents on the file that the form calls for, with date and author
- Turn the court's published filing and service steps into a checklist for this matter
AI must not
- Must not write allegations, grounds, orders or figures in words that will be filed
- Must not decide jurisdiction, standing or whether a time limit has been met
- Must not sign, lodge or serve the form
The lawyer checks
- The Court has been contacted about the status of the investigation before the request is filed
- Form 26 is the request for an inquest into a death, not the fire forms
- Mandatory-inquest categories on the inquests page have been checked by the lawyer
- The guidance PDF linked from the inquests page has been read
Method: how the Green, Yellow and Red levels are decided. This is guidance for planning, not legal advice.
Official form
Open the official form. Always use the current version from the issuer. Licence: © State of Victoria (Coroners Court of Victoria). Link only: download the current form from the official page each time; do not copy or adapt it..
Read the full text
The full text is available after you log in. It is free. When you log in you can:
- read the whole precedent, with its drafting notes beside it;
- copy it, or download it as a Word file or Markdown;
- add it to your firm’s knowledge base, so colleagues can find it;
- let the AI tools you connect read it from that knowledge base.
The summary, the law it rests on and the AI-use guidance above stay public. Privacy.
More in Coronial Inquests
- Coronial matter register and deadline list (NSW)
- Objection to a post mortem examination (Coroners Court of NSW): the senior next of kin's letter, the 48-hour notice and the Supreme Court application
- Asking for an inquest after a coroner has dispensed with one (NSW)
- Queensland internal autopsy: record of a family's concerns
- Application for leave to appear at an inquest: letter to the coroner (NSW, sufficient interest)
- Application for leave to appear as an interested party (Coroners Court Form 31)
- Letter asking a NSW coroner for reasons for dispensing with an inquest
- Requesting a Queensland inquest: pathway, dates and pre-inquest conference
- Application to set aside a finding (Coroners Court Form 43)
- Queensland coronial recommendations: response tracking register
- Self-incrimination objection and certificate at a NSW inquest: steps for the lawyer
- Closing submissions on findings and recommendations at an inquest: structure and checklist (NSW)
- Application for access to coronial documents or an inquest transcript (Coroners Court Form 45)
- Non-publication or closed-court order at a NSW inquest: structure (s 74)
- Organisation's response to coronial recommendations: letter and implementation register
- Western Australian coronial investigation: status register
- Family conference before an inquest: agenda
- Notice of application for a suppression order (Coroners Court Form 42B)
- Issues-to-witness matrix for an inquest
- Western Australia: senior next of kin autopsy and information rights
- Request for consideration of concerns (Coroners Court of Victoria)
All precedents for Coronial Inquests · Tasks and AI use in this area