Page 1681 - Week 06 - Thursday, 23 July 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
draining impacts of having to go through the Supreme Court simply to correct errors in coronial findings that come from an accident or an omission.
The new definition of death in care will ensure that death in a correctional centre is clearly distinguished from death under a mental health order, where involvement in the criminal justice system should not be assumed.
The bill will introduce a ministerial power to make guidelines to assist in the preparation of government responses to coronial findings to prescribe the kind of information that must be included in these responses.
I also mentioned, on the presentation of this bill, that a new family liaison officer role was being established as an important non-legislative reform to improve the experience of families navigating the coronial system. I am pleased to inform the Assembly that the family liaison officer has now been recruited and commenced working in the Coroner’s Court on 25 June this year. The family liaison officer is the interface and the primary point of contact for families who are engaged in a coronial process. The officer also supports coroners to consider how restorative approaches can be applied to their practice.
In working towards a restorative coronial process, what we are really asking ourselves is: how do we build a system that is more humane? Understanding this means understanding people, the experiences and the views of those who work in the system and those that the system exists to serve. The voices of the community, the stakeholders involved in the system and those individuals and families who have lived through the system are at the very heart of the reforms.
Throughout the development of this bill, it was inspiring to have witnessed the community’s deep motivation to see tangible changes to improve the coronial landscape, and I feel honoured to have been part of that conversation. Working together to see positive change come from a loved one’s death is indeed humbling. It is restorative.
I place on the public record my enormous appreciation to the members of what has become known as the Coronial Reform Group: Ann, Eunice and Rosslyn. I understand that they are watching this live today. Through their pain, their hurt, their experience, they have worked very generously to make the situation better for others. I am honoured to have worked alongside them.
I also thank all the officials, all the others, all members of the community, people from the coronial system, the ACT Acting Chief Coroner—as he was at the time—Glenn Theakston, who was involved in the design around some of the reforms as well, the Restorative Community Network that works right across the ACT, the restorative justice team in the Justice and Community Safety Directorate and many, many more.
Of course, there is the potential for us to do much more. What this bill aims to achieve is just one part of the story—an important part, but one part. It paves a path for the ACT to build momentum, to direct our focus to what comes next for restorative coronial reform, as well as for restorative practices in the broader community.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video