By NZDSOS

A report produced by New Zealand Doctors Speaking Out with Science (NZDSOS) on the Coroner’s Amendment Bill has brought up serious questions about investigations into deaths in New Zealand.

A spokesperson for NZDSOS said, “it is clear on glancing through the submissions, New Zealanders see this amendment as a cover-up attempt, either by accident or design”.

The Bill, currently going through the House, aims to speed up the process of coronial investigations so family members are not left in limbo for years.

Proposed recommendations include:

• Establishing a new position of ‘coronial associate’
• Recording cause of death as ‘unascertained natural causes’ in certain circumstances
• Enabling coroners to hold coronial inquiry solely in chambers, where appropriate
• Enabling written findings to be issued stating cause of death only, where appropriate, not circumstances

Written submissions were due on 28 Sept 2022. Oral submissions for the Bill were presented to the Justice Select Committee last week on October 6th. “The reactions from some of the committee were mixed, to say the least, but they know now that they are under scrutiny for any wrong-doing “, said the spokesperson.

There are at least two very good reasons why the Coroner’s Act and the role of the coroner should be strengthened at this time rather than watered down.

New Zealand and countries across the planet, are in the middle of phase 4 clinical trial (post-marketing surveillance) for Covid-19 injections including the Pfizer injection used in NZ. The phase three Pfizer trial involving the original 44,000 participants is also ongoing. It is not due for completion until Feb 2023.

“In a phase 4 clinical trial every death of a person who received the medication would typically be investigated and reported on,” said the spokesperson. This is clearly not happening and is likely to happen even less if a coronial associate can sign off a death as ‘unascertained natural causes”.

Many other countries, including New Zealand, are experiencing an alarming rise in all-cause mortality which has not been adequately explained.

The role of a comprehensive coronial service with the ability to do thorough investigations on an increased number of deceased people is more important now than ever before” – NZDSOS spokesperson