The Domestic Violence Death Review Committee is chaired by the Deputy Chief Coroner and acts in an advisory capacity to the Chief Coroner.
The Committee assists the Office of the Chief Coroner in the review of deaths of persons that occur as a result of domestic violence, and to make recommendations to help prevent such deaths in similar circumstances.
The Committee is comprised of the Deputy Chief Coroner with members from law enforcement, Public Prosecutions Services, health, academia, research, service provision, interested citizens and government.
A domestic violence death is defined as a homicide or suicide that results from violence between intimate partners or ex-partners and may include the death of a child or other familial members.
The committee provides a confidential multi-disciplinary review of domestic violence deaths. It creates and maintains a comprehensive database about the victims and perpetrators of domestic violence fatalities and their circumstances. It helps identify systemic issues, problems, gaps, or shortcomings in each case and may make appropriate recommendations concerning prevention. It helps identify trends, risk factors, and patterns from the cases reviewed to make recommendations for effective intervention and prevention strategies