Justice Centre | 19 Aitken Street
DX SX10088 | Wellington
T 04 918 8800 |
F 04 918 8820
[email address] | www.justice.govt.nz
22 November 2023
Chris McCashin
[FYI request #24521 email]
Our ref: OIA 107927
Tēnā koe Chris
Request for Coroners Court information on sudden deaths between 2000 and 2023
Thank you for your email of 25 October 2023 to New Zealand Police (Police) requesting,
under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), information on sudden death events.
Specifically, you requested:
From 2000 - 2023 sudden death events - can you please include the 2023 deaths up
to the current date Median attendance time
On 27 October 2023 your request was transferred to the Ministry of Justice (the Ministry) for
response under section 14 of the Act. Police have advised the Ministry that your request for
information on sudden death attendance time will be responded to by Police, following a
separate request for this information you made to Police on 27 October 2023. The Ministry
does not hold information on Police attendance times.
In response to your request, please refer to Table 1 enclosed. Table 1 provides the number
of deaths notified to the coroner, by year, between 1 July 2007 and 6 November 2023. It is
important to note that this information can only be provided from 1 July 2007, as that is when
the case management system used by the Coroners Court became operational. This means
that the numbers provided for 2007 reflect a six-month period.
For the purpose of your request, sudden deaths have been interpreted as all deaths that
must be reported to the coroner in accordance with sections 13 and 14 of the Coroners Act
2006: those that appear to have been without known cause, self-inflicted, unnatural, violent,
or medically unexpected. Is important to note that the data in table 1 will differ to data
supplied by Police, as Police do not attend all deaths referred to the coroner. For example,
deaths that are medically unexpected are referred to the coroner by a health practitioner.
If you require any clarification of the information contained in this response, please contact
Joe Locke, Media & Social Media Manager, on 021 636 416, or email [email address]
If you are not satisfied with this response, you have the right to complain to the Ombudsman
under section 28(3) of the OIA. You can contact the Office of the Ombudsman by calling
0800 802 60; or emailing [email address].
I trust this information assists.
Nāku noa, nā
Jacquelyn Shannon
Group Manager, Courts and Tribunals, Regional Service Delivery
Ref:
107927
Encl: 1) Table 1: The number of deaths notified to the coroner, by year, between 1 July
2007 and 6 November 2023
Table 1: The number of deaths notified to the coroner, by year, between 1 July 2007 and 6 November 2023
Year
1 July to 31
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
1 January
December
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 31
to 6
2007
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
December
November
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Total deaths
1,589
3,440
3,444
3,276
3,421
3,284
3,034
3,241
3,338
3,360
3,557
3,583
3,852
3,505
3,593
3,861
3,238
Notes:
•
This data was extracted from the case management system used by the Coroners Court as at 6 November 2023 and may differ from previously released or published data.
•
Sudden deaths have been interpreted as all deaths that must be reported to the coroner in accordance with sections 13 and 14 of the Coroners Act 2006: those that appear to have been without known
cause, self-inflicted, unnatural, violent, or medically unexpected. This data will differ to data supplied by Police, as Police do not attend all deaths referred to the coroner. For example, deaths that are
medically unexpected are referred to the coroner by a health practitioner.
•
Cases are included based on the date the case was notified to the coroner, which can differ from the date of death.
•
This data contains active cases which are currently under investigation by the coroner and are therefore provisional. This information is being made available for release on behalf of the Chief Coroner.
•
This data also includes closed cases which have a cause of death that has been determined by the coroner, where a finding or certificate has been issued.
•
This information can only be provided from 1 July 2007, as that is when the case management system used by the Coroners Court became operational.
•
Due to the manner in which information has been recorded by, or presented to the coroner, the statistics provided should not be taken as representing every such instance.
