The Victorian Coroners Court has been informed that potential criminal charges over the deadly Melbourne wall collapse may delay inquests for several years.
A brother and sister, Alexander and Bridget Jones and French national Marie Faith Fiawoo were all killed as a result of the collapsing wall from March’s high winds.
Coroner Ian Gray confirmed in a hearing that there may be delays but he remains confident that an inquest may occur at the same time as other court proceedings
Fiawoo’s family lawyer raised concerns that any delays in the inquiry may cause undue stress for the families.
Another lawyer, William Southey believes the delay should be be minimised.
“Delays in cases like this can sometimes be unavoidable,” he said.
“We just hope, on behalf of both families, that the delay will be minimised to the greatest possible extent.
“And we are confident that the state coroner will do his very best to ensure that that’s done.”
An inquest brief is being prepared for the coroner which analyze the the history of the wall, regulations around hoarding attached to the wall and conditions on the day of the collapse.
Construction giant Grocon and Worksafe are also running separate investigations.
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Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-23/victorian-coroner-says-wall-collapse-inquest-may-be-delayed-for/4708322?section=vic
