The first stages of the coronial process- a video for whānau

“E huri tō aroaro ki te rā, tukuna tō ataarangi ki muri i a koe - turn and face the sun, let your shadow fall behind you.”

The Ministry of Justice has created a new video resource to guide whānau through the first stages of the coronial process; from when a death occurs and is reported to the coroner, until the tūpāpaku (body) is returned to whānau.

Purongo O te Ao Kakarauri - Coronial Services of New Zealand work to support the coroners in investigating the causes and circumstances surrounding unexpected, violent, or suspicious deaths in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Aotearoa New Zealand is home to many different faiths and cultures, and it’s important that the cultural, religious, and spiritual beliefs of our people are acknowledged when a death is referred to the coroner.

The video has been designed to support whānau when considering their options during these initial stages, and assist the coroner in identifying any values held by whānau that may need to be considered.

Alongside the video, a new factsheet [PDF, 196 KB] and booklet [PDF, 533 KB] are also available to assist whānau in understanding the coronial process.

The video is available with both English and te reo Māori subtitles. Both versions are available on the Ministry’s YouTube channel(external link), and on the Coronial Services website(external link).

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