Magistrate Mary Jerram was appointed as NSW State Coroner on 7 May 2007. Magistrate Jerram has been a magistrate and coroner since 1994 and is a former Deputy Chief Magistrate of the Local Court. Magistrates Carl Milovanovich, Malcolm MacPherson, Hugh Dillon and Paul MacMahon are the Deputy State Coroners. The State Coroner and Deputy State Coroners are supported by a network of Coroners and Assistant Coroners across NSW. Administrative and clerical support is provided by staff of the Attorney General's Department.


The role of the Coroner

Coroners in NSW investigate approximately 6,000 reportable deaths annually. Investigations into an average 3,500 deaths annually are coordinated through the State Coroner's Office at Glebe while investigations into a further 2,500 deaths annually are coordinated by coroners and assistant coroners in various rural and regional locations throughout NSW.

The role of the Coroner as outlined in the NSW Coroner’s Act 1980 is to determine the identity of the deceased and the date, place, manner and medical cause of death of the deceased. In order to fulfil this role, the Coroner relies on information obtained from pathologists, police personnel, general medical practitioners and specialist physicians.

The Coroner's Court does not issue the Death Certificate. For information on Death Certificates, please contact the NSW Registry of Births Deaths and Marriages.

The history of the coroner goes back to medieval times.


Organisational Structure

State Coroner's Court Organisational Structure


Core Values

Core Values underpinning the Coronial Jurisdiction