| Name | Court Room | Time |
|---|---|---|
| MCPHEE, A** J** | Court 4 Jury Court | 10:00am |
Last updated: 03 Jul 2026, 3:41 pm. Names are partially masked for privacy. Details may change — always check with the Registry.
The Coroner's Court of Western Australia is the specialist judicial body responsible for investigating reportable deaths across the state, and its work reaches deep into the Goldfields through the Kalgoorlie Courthouse at 208 Hannan Street. When a death occurs in or around Kalgoorlie-Boulder that appears unexpected, unnatural, violent or the result of injury, it becomes a coronial matter, and a regional magistrate sitting as a coroner may hear the matter locally before the case is administered centrally at the Perth registry. This page brings together the daily coronial listings for the Kalgoorlie venue in one searchable place, so families, legal practitioners, journalists and support workers can confirm hearing dates, courtroom allocations and inquest schedules without navigating the official portal one screen at a time.
Coronial hearings differ from the criminal, civil and traffic matters that fill most regional court lists. A coronial investigation is a fact-finding exercise, not a trial. There is no accused, no prosecution and no verdict of guilt. The coroner's task is to establish, where possible, the identity of the deceased, how death occurred, the cause of death and the particulars needed to register it. Because of this distinct purpose, coronial listings at Kalgoorlie carry their own terminology, and understanding it helps you read the daily list with confidence.
How the coronial system operates in the Goldfields
Western Australia runs the most geographically dispersed court system in the country, and the coronial jurisdiction is no exception. The state coronial framework operates as a multidisciplinary system supported by the Western Australia Police Force, whose officers each act as coroner's investigators, alongside PathWest Laboratory Medicine and ChemCentre, which provide forensic pathology and toxicology reports. In the Goldfields-Esperance region, regional magistrates are contemporaneously appointed as coroners, and they work with their registrars to progress local investigations. Some regional matters, including all inquest hearings, are completed by the Perth Coroners Court, which centralises the more complex work while keeping local access available at venues such as Kalgoorlie.
The Kalgoorlie Courthouse itself is a significant civic building. The $41.7 million four-courtroom complex was redeveloped with provision to expand to five courtrooms, and its design incorporates Aboriginal art and an ochre interior colour scheme that reflects the surrounding landscape of a city established in 1893 during the Western Australian gold rushes. Kalgoorlie-Boulder recorded a population of 29,072 at the 2021 census and sits 595 kilometres east-northeast of Perth, which makes a reliable local coronial service essential for a community this remote.
What counts as a reportable death
Under the Coroners Act 1996 (WA), a death must be reported to a coroner when it appears to be unexpected, unnatural or violent, when it results directly or indirectly from injury, or when the deceased was a person held in care immediately before death. Persons held in care include prisoners, people in police custody, involuntary patients under the Mental Health Act 2014 and children the subject of protection orders. Every Western Australian death of a person held in care is automatically a reportable death, and these matters must proceed to a mandated inquest.
Coronial statistics that put the Kalgoorlie caseload in context
The scale of the coronial workload across Western Australia is substantial, and the most recent annual report from the Office of the State Coroner sets out the figures clearly. In the 2024/25 financial year there were 3,318 reportable deaths across the state, of which 849 were regional deaths originating outside metropolitan Perth. Coroners finalised 3,360 cases during the same year, producing a clearance rate of 98.7 per cent. Of those finalisations, 98 per cent were completed by administrative finding in chambers, while the remaining 2 per cent, a total of 56 cases, proceeded to a full inquest hearing.
The manner-of-death findings for 2024/25 give a sense of the human reality behind the numbers. Coroners recorded 563 deaths by accident, 404 by suicide, 213 by natural causes, 56 by unlawful homicide and 108 as open findings, with large additional categories captured under fast-track natural-cause provisions. Post-mortem activity was equally significant, with 55 immediate post-mortem examinations conducted and 1,007 pathologist-recommended external examinations approved, reflecting the court's adoption of the least invasive procedure appropriate to each case.
Timeliness remains a live issue that directly affects regional families waiting on outcomes. In 2024/25, 57.3 per cent of files, some 1,926 cases, were closed within twelve months, while 42.7 per cent were older than twelve months at closure. The overall backlog rose to 1,049 cases, driven largely by delays in toxicology and post-mortem reporting from external agencies. For a Kalgoorlie family, this data explains why a coronial matter can remain listed for directions hearings across many months before a finding is delivered.
Support available through the coronial process
The Coronial Counselling and Information Service recorded 12,539 contacts in 2024/25, its highest total in five years, and provides initial support, explains the coronial process and helps next of kin object to a post-mortem examination where they wish to do so. A Senior Aboriginal Liaison Officer position has been funded to strengthen culturally appropriate services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, a role of particular importance in the Goldfields where First Nations communities form a substantial part of the population served by the Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court.
Reading the Kalgoorlie coronial list
Coronial matters appear on the daily list under several hearing types. A directions hearing is an administrative appearance where the coroner manages the progress of an investigation. A mention allows the court to check the status of outstanding reports. An inquest is the formal public hearing itself, conducted under the principles of open justice and generally open to members of the public. Where a matter is listed for a finding, the coroner is delivering the written outcome of the investigation. Knowing which category applies helps you decide whether attendance is necessary and whether the matter will be heard locally or by video link to Perth.
- Directions hearing - procedural management of an ongoing coronial investigation.
- Mention - a short appearance to review progress and outstanding evidence.
- Inquest - the public hearing that examines the circumstances of a death.
- Finding - delivery of the coroner's written conclusions and any recommendations.
Kalgoorlie also hosts other jurisdictions in the same building, so it is worth confirming you are viewing the correct list. Supreme Court matters sit at Kalgoorlie three times a year, and District Court circuit trial listing hearings run by video link from the venue. If your matter is criminal or civil rather than coronial, the Kalgoorlie District Court listings and magistrates lists will show it instead. For a complete picture of every jurisdiction sitting across the state on any given day, the WA court lists hub aggregates more than 60 venues into one browsable directory.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Kalgoorlie Courthouse located?
The courthouse is at 208 Hannan Street, Kalgoorlie WA 6430, in the centre of Kalgoorlie-Boulder. The registry operates Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 4.00 pm, and the venue offers wheelchair access and support for visitors who arrange assistance in advance.
Are coronial inquests at Kalgoorlie open to the public?
Yes. Inquests are conducted according to the principles of open justice and are generally open to the public, subject to any suppression order made by the coroner. Some listings may not be publicly displayed where legislative or court requirements apply.
Will my coronial matter be heard in Kalgoorlie or Perth?
Directions hearings and mentions may be heard locally by a regional magistrate sitting as coroner, but inquest hearings and the central administration of regional cases are handled by the Perth Coroners Court at the Central Law Courts. You can review those matters through the Perth Coroners Court listings.
How long does a coronial investigation take?
Timeframes vary widely. Statewide, roughly 57 per cent of files close within twelve months, but complex matters awaiting toxicology, post-mortem or external agency reports can take considerably longer, which is why a single matter may appear on the list across multiple hearing dates.
How often are the listings updated?
Court listings for the next day of business are typically published in the late afternoon and can change after posting. Always confirm your hearing date, time and courtroom against your official notice and arrive early to allow time for security screening.
