KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's newly professional coroners will be expected to be outspoken and fearless about issues arising from their inquests, Chief Coroner Neil MacLean says.
A new system, which replaces 55 mostly part-time coroners with 14 fulltimers, comes into effect on July 1.
It has already come under scrutiny because of the omission of outspoken Wellington coroner Garry Evans from the 14 appointments, which brought National Party accusations of political involvement in the appointment process.
Judge MacLean, 62, a former Hamilton District Court judge who also served as Christchurch coroner for 10 years, oversees the new team of coroners.
He said more than 130 people had applied for the 14 jobs, and many had been excellent candidates.
"We could have filled the 14 slots twice over. I was quite blown away by the calibre of the people who were interested."
Coroners conduct inquests into sudden, unexplained or high-profile deaths. Their findings often include recommendations to authorities or health organisations to prevent more similar deaths.
Critics say Mr Evans' reputation for outspokenness counted against him, but Judge MacLean said he would tell coroners at an upcoming orientation session that he wanted them to "front-foot' issues.
"There is no muzzling going on, and I wouldn't have a bar of it if there were," he said. "Nor I think would any of the coroners.
"It's an independent judiciary. As specialist judges we have to respect the fact that we speak only from the bench, and we respect the convention that we don't slag off at politicians or ministers and they don't slag off at us.
"But as a head of bench, if I feel something needs to be said about something I can say it, and there is no restriction of any sort on me.
"Equally, I expect my coroners will feel free to discuss matters of general interest, but not talk about specific cases, because no judge would do that. You don't deliver your decision, then discuss it and enter into commentary on Morning Report the next morning."
Mr Evans will return in a part-time capacity under the new system, as will former Auckland coroner Sharn Herdson, who is understood to have turned down one of three positions in Auckland.
Mr Evans and Ms Herdson will be relief coroners, and over six months will help the new coroners clear a backlog of 1900 cases.
Additional resources allocated to the new-look coroner's court led to the discovery of the case backlog, Judge MacLean said. Soon that extra money would be put into new moves, such as a public register of coroners' recommendations.
"Coroners were often working in near ignorance of what their colleagues had done. With a national focus, that should all change. We will get an early feel for what is going on, we will know what's going on. We will monitor what's going on, and part of my role will be making sure all coroners know what is going on."
Judge MacLean said he expected coroners with specific skills and expertise, such as in aviation crashes, would eventually travel out of their regions to hear cases relating to their specialties.
Coroners would also receive regular training, and the Chief Coroner would monitor their work to ensure a consistency in their findings.
"We have been handed a mission - a new act, a new system and new resources," Judge MacLean said. "Our task is to reflect the wish of the Law Commission, as manifested by the Government in the act, to bring the coronial system into the 21st century."