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Coroner on tour

Copland helping people understand the job

Darrell Greer
Northern News Services

Whale Cove (Mar 28/01) - While the job of a coroner is to investigate certain deaths, some people are not exactly clear what that involves.

"In some cases, the public doesn't see why we have to send a body out (for an autopsy)," says Elizabeth Copland.

"They somehow get this grim idea that maybe there's organs being removed and donated to hospitals and that is definitely never the case," she adds.

Copland is in her second year as Nunavut's chief coroner, and if things go as she plans, the Whale Cove resident intends to visit as many Kivalliq and Nunavut communities this year to help understand what coroners do.

Copland says the primary function of a coroner, who are hired by the Department of Justice, is to determine cause of death.

No medical degree is required in Nunavut and Copland supervises about 40 other coroners at any given time in the territory.

"All deaths are reported, but, as coroners, we're called in when a sudden or unexpected death occurs and we investigate until we find out the cause of that death.

"If it's a homicide or multiple deaths, I will travel to the community to assist the local coroner."

Copland says some people are also under the false assumption that a coroner merely looks at a body and that's the end of their involvement.

"After we examine a body, the file remains open for awhile and we have proper procedures we must follow before closing that file.

"My job description as chief coroner is, basically, being an ombudsman for the dead."

Copland hopes to keep the costs of her tour to a minimum by hitching a ride with another division of the Justice Department visiting Nunavut communities.

"The Circuit Court goes into various communities and I'm hoping to be able to arrange my schedule to take advantage of the flights they charter and share the cost.

"The more I can educate the public as to what we do and why, the easier it will be for local coroners to execute their duties and that's the main reason for the tour."

Copland will be joined by about 40 Nunavut coroners in Rankin Inlet April 7-8, at the Siniktarvik Hotel boardroom.

She said that every year the coroners meet in a community for a refresher course.

"This year, we're also getting a representative from the Transportation Safety Board to attend our meetings to review and refresh proper procedures when there's a plane crash or a boating accident, for example.

"Basically the training enhances our ability to perform our job."