Coronial Services

Courts remain an essential service throughout all COVID-19 restrictions, but may operate differently.

Please check the Courts of NZ website for the latest court protocols: Current court protocols related to COVID-19

For more information for court users, see: Information for all court and tribunal users.


This website will give you a general idea of what you can expect to happen when a death is referred to a coroner.

Police always inform a coroner when someone dies unexpectedly, violently or in suspicious circumstances. If a general practitioner (GP) or doctor is unsure what caused a person’s death, they will report it to the coroner.

The coroner will find out when, where, how and why the death happened. They’ll also work out whether anything can be done differently so that similar deaths can be prevented.

The Coroners Court has up to 22 permanent full-time coroners and is supported the by the Coronial Services Unit at the Ministry of Justice.

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