What really happened versus what we can prove: tension between the coroner and the DPP

Abstract

According to Queensland law, any death which occurs in police custody must be subject to a coronial inquest. Such an investigation is required by best practice guidelines to have regard, where applicable, for the recommendations and findings of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and to be conducted in such a way as to be more sensitive and compassionate towards families than has been the case in the past. This article considers the coronial inquest of Mulrunji, a 36-year-old Aboriginal man resident on Palm Island, who died in police custody in the Palm Island watch-house on 19 November 2004.