WA Coroners Court – Central Law Courts List Today

The Coroner's Court of Western Australia sits on Level 10 of the Central Law Courts building at 501 Hay Street, Perth WA 6000, and it is the single specialist court responsible for investigating reportable deaths, suspected deaths of missing persons, and fires across the entire state. If you are searching for a coronial hearing at this venue, this page tracks the daily inquest schedule listed before the State Coroner, the Deputy State Coroner, and the two sitting Coroners who work from these chambers. The court operates Monday to Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm, and country callers can reach the registry on the freecall line 1800 671 994 in addition to the main number, (08) 9425 2900.

Unlike the criminal and civil courts housed on the lower floors of the same building, the Coroner's Court does not decide guilt or award damages. A coronial investigation is a fact finding exercise. Its purpose, under the Coroners Act 1996 (WA), is to establish who died, and how, when, and where the death occurred, and to consider whether anything can be done to prevent similar deaths in the future. That death prevention role is what distinguishes coronial work from every other jurisdiction in the Western Australian court system.

What the Coroner's Court at the Central Law Courts does

A death becomes "reportable" to the Coroner under the Coroners Act 1996 when it appears to be unexpected, unnatural, violent, the result of an accident, caused by an unknown cause, or when the person died while held in care. Every death of a person held in care, meaning prisoners, people in police custody, children under protection orders, and involuntary mental health patients, is reportable by law. Once a death is reported, the Coroner reviews the reports and evidence, decides whether further investigation is needed, and either finalises the matter by administrative finding in chambers or by holding a public inquest.

The coronial system in this state is deliberately multidisciplinary. The Coroner relies on the Western Australia Police Force, where every officer is a coroner's investigator, on the forensic pathologists, neuropathologists and forensic biologists at PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, and on the toxicologists at ChemCentre. The Coronial Investigation Squad attends scenes and gathers information, while pathologists conduct post mortem examinations and provide opinions on the cause of death. This is why a coronial file can take time to progress: the Coroner cannot make findings until the external reports are complete.

Inquiry versus inquest

Most coronial matters are finalised without a public hearing. In the 2023/24 reporting year, Coroners in Western Australia finalised 3,329 cases, and 98.5 per cent of those were resolved by administrative finding, known as an inquiry. Only 1.5 per cent, a total of 52 cases, were finalised by inquest. An inquest is a formal court hearing, conducted in accordance with the principles of open justice and procedural fairness, and it is generally open to the public. Inquest findings are published on the Coroner's Court website, whereas the findings from an inquiry are provided to the next of kin but are otherwise confidential.

Of the 52 inquests finalised in 2023/24, 42 were mandated by law and 10 were discretionary. Mandated inquests are required in specific circumstances: 26 concerned people held in care immediately before death, 6 concerned deaths that appeared to be caused or contributed to by an action of a police officer, and 10 concerned the suspected deaths of missing persons. In each of the missing person cases, the Coroner found that the death had been established beyond all reasonable doubt.

Coronial statistics you can verify

The figures below are drawn from the Office of the State Coroner for Western Australia Annual Report 2023-2024, tabled under section 27 of the Coroners Act 1996. They give a clear picture of the volume of work flowing through the Central Law Courts chambers and the regional Coroners who report to the State Coroner.

• 3,317 reportable deaths were referred to the Coroner in 2023/24, comprising 2,472 metropolitan deaths and 845 regional deaths.
• 3,329 cases finalised during the year, producing a clearance rate of 100.4 per cent, meaning the court closed marginally more matters than were reported.
• 804 cases in backlog at year end, down 28 per cent from 1,120 the previous year.
• 3,344 cases on hand as active coronial investigations at 30 June 2024.
• 52 recommendations made by Coroners to help prevent deaths in similar circumstances.
• 11,757 contacts handled by the Coronial Counselling and Information Service across the year.

Manner of death findings for 2023/24 show the spread of matters the Coroner deals with: 671 accidents, 436 suicides, 282 natural causes recorded outside the streamlined pathways, 130 open findings, 33 unlawful homicides, and 16 findings of misadventure, alongside 1,154 findings under the section 19A natural causes pathway and 557 under section 25(1A). A total of 3,218 post mortem examinations were arranged during the year, and in 1,010 matters a forensic pathologist recommended a less invasive external examination rather than a full internal one, reflecting the court's stated preference for the least invasive procedure appropriate to each case.

How the caseload has changed over five years

Reportable deaths have climbed steadily, from 2,573 in 2019/20 to 3,317 in 2023/24, an increase driven partly by population growth and partly by changes in reporting practice. The clearance rate has fluctuated with resourcing and the pandemic, dropping to 67.8 per cent in 2020/21 before recovering to 108.6 per cent in 2022/23 and settling at 100.4 per cent in 2023/24. Cases on hand peaked at 3,687 in 2021/22 and have since eased back to 3,344. These numbers matter to families because they explain why some investigations conclude within months while others, particularly those requiring an inquest, can take longer than a year.

Inside the Central Law Courts building

The Central Law Courts at 501 Hay Street is Perth's principal justice building, sitting in the heart of the city's legal precinct between Barrack Street and Irwin Street. The Coroner's Court occupies Level 10, while the lower floors house the busiest Magistrates Court registry in the state. If your matter is a summary criminal, traffic, or civil listing rather than a coronial one, you will most likely be listed downstairs; you can check those matters on the Central Law Courts Magistrates listings instead. Sharing a single address means the coronial chambers benefit from the building's central location, secure facilities, and proximity to the wider Perth court network.

The State Coroner's chambers are formally located at Level 10, 501 Hay Street, Perth WA 6000, and correspondence for legal practitioners seeking leave to appear or requesting a coronial brief is directed to the Listings Manager at that address. Registry hours run Monday to Friday, and the Coronial Counselling and Information Service is available during business hours to support families through the process.

The Coronial Counselling and Information Service

Section 16 of the Coroners Act 1996 obliges the State Coroner to ensure a counselling service is attached to the court. This obligation is met through the Coronial Counselling and Information Service, or CCIS, which provides initial support and counselling to anyone coming into contact with the coronial system. The CCIS explains the coronial process, including how to object to a post mortem examination, keeps the next of kin informed about the progress of a case, and connects families with agencies that assist with bereavement. During 2023/24 the Department of Justice funded a new Senior Aboriginal Liaison Officer position to strengthen culturally appropriate support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, who are over represented in the deaths investigated by the court.

The coronial process step by step

Understanding the sequence of a coronial investigation helps families and practitioners know what to expect and when a matter is likely to appear on the daily list at the Central Law Courts.

1. Report of death. Police, a doctor, or another authority reports the death to the Coroner. Every death of a person held in care is automatically reportable.
2. Post mortem decision. The Coroner may direct a post mortem examination. The senior next of kin can object, and in 2023/24 the court accepted 697 of the 725 objections lodged.
3. Investigation. Police gather evidence, pathologists provide reports, and toxicologists analyse samples. This stage accounts for most of the time a file spends open.
4. Finalisation. The Coroner makes a finding on identity, and how, when and where death occurred, either by administrative finding or by inquest.
5. Recommendations. Where an inquest identifies a preventable risk, the Coroner may make recommendations, and ministerial responses are published on the court's website.

Because the Coroner's jurisdiction is statewide, inquests are not always heard in Perth. Regional Magistrates are also Coroners, and inquests are held in regional centres when that is more appropriate, including sittings supported through venues such as the Bunbury coronial hearings. For a full view of every coronial, Magistrates, District and Supreme Court venue across the state, the consolidated WA court lists bring the daily schedule together in one place.

How the Coroner's Court fits into the WA court hierarchy

The Coroner's Court is a specialist jurisdiction that operates alongside, rather than above or below, the mainstream courts. All Coroners in Western Australia are Magistrates by virtue of their appointment, so the coronial jurisdiction is closely linked to the Magistrates Court. Generally there is no appeal from a Coroner's decision, although the Supreme Court of WA may grant prerogative relief in relation to coronial proceedings in limited circumstances. This structure keeps coronial findings focused on fact finding and prevention rather than on assigning legal liability, which remains the work of the criminal and civil courts.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Coroner's Court of Western Australia located?

The Coroner's Court sits on Level 10 of the Central Law Courts building at 501 Hay Street, Perth WA 6000. The registry can be reached on (08) 9425 2900 or on the country freecall line 1800 671 994, Monday to Friday.

What is the difference between an inquiry and an inquest?

An inquiry is an administrative finding made by a Coroner in chambers, and the finding is confidential to the next of kin. An inquest is a public court hearing. In 2023/24, 98.5 per cent of the 3,329 finalised matters were resolved by inquiry and only 1.5 per cent by inquest.

When is an inquest compulsory?

Under the Coroners Act 1996, an inquest is mandatory when the death involves a person held in care, when the death appears to be caused or contributed to by an action of the police, and when the State Coroner directs that a suspected death of a missing person be investigated.

Can I object to a post mortem examination?

Yes. The senior next of kin may object under section 37 of the Coroners Act 1996, unless the Coroner decides the examination must be performed immediately. In 2023/24 the court accepted the large majority of objections lodged.

Are coronial inquests open to the public?

Most inquests are open, and findings are published on the Coroner's Court website. Some restrictions and suppression orders can apply, particularly where a child or a vulnerable person is involved.

How long does a coronial investigation take?

It varies. Straightforward matters can be finalised within a few months, while complex cases requiring an inquest often take more than a year. In 2023/24, 47.5 per cent of files were closed within twelve months of the date of death.