1. Due to severe misconduct, we are calling
on the Tasmanian Government to sack Coroner Simon Cooper.

2. His resignation is not enough - throughout this post, I will outline some of the
obvious bias, lack of impartiality, , and malpractice Cooper has tainted his duties as Coroner with. 

I, along with countless community members, believe these are grounds for not only a public apology but also immediate dismissal. 
Cooper is an embarrassment to the Tasmanian Justice system.

3. Brief overview of the inquest:

a. During Jari’s inquest in February, extensive new evidence was tabled,
including: 
i. corroborating statutory declarations from two neighbours which state that
they heard Melissa return to Jessica Hoskings house and loudly say “look
at what’s he’s done to my fucking car… I hit the cunt”;

ii. Messages from Wise to Oates in the minutes before his murder, including
one pleading with her to ‘please go back’

iii. Several past instances of domestic violence perpetrated by Oates against Wise, including attacking him with a pair of scissors and setting fire to one of his shoes;

iv. As well as a separate incident in 2020 where she had been witnessed
driving at Wise down Huonville street in a Hyandai Getz, yelling “die you black cunt”
.
b. It is clearly both offensive and laughable, therefore, for Cooper to publicly state that the inquest was a waste of time- PARTICULARLY after he himself
ruled that 

1) Almost every witness who gave evidence in favour of Oates’
innocence (Hoskings, Lovell, and Oates herself) was an ‘unreliable’ witness and
their testimonies should be struck from the record, and 

2) that there was in fact insufficient evidence to rule that Jari jumped in front of the car.

c. It is also extremely worrying that Cooper has acknowledged that these witnesses
have lied and deceived but fails to hold them to account.

d. e. An even more worrying aspect of Cooper’s behaviour in regards to Jari’s inquest, however, is the complete lack of impartiality imposed throughout-
going as far as to use my son’s coronial inquest findings as a platform for his own opinions and political beliefs.

Cooper’s job, as required by law or by the family of the deceased, is to thoroughly examine the facts of the case in search of the truth as to who is to blame for the death. 

However, he does not go into much detail about the
conduct of witnesses for the person who caused Jari's death, nor does h f. g. h. i. obtain from them the reasons for their actions in a court of law - which, even according to him, were hostile.

There is no detail in Cooper’s inquest findings on Shead’s retraction of her former statement in support of Oates to that which proves Oates had a history
of trying to hit Jari with her car. 

In fact, he appears to have dismissed it
outright and without questioning?

Rather, my son’s coronial inquest findings were predominantly made up of Cooper’s personal opinion previously held that there was no need for an
inquest, and continued references that he was ‘forced’ to do this by Elise Archer.

If Coopers self-indulgent philosophising that he was upset that he was made
to do his job was not bad enough, the report (and in fact, his callous and
uncaring behaviour in the courtroom) made very clear his disdain for the
victim’s next of kin (Myself)

There was no apology or sympathy, not even one word of support or regret on the loss of my son (a formality which is commonplace in coroners reports,
usually at the start before getting into details).

j. Most shocking of all, however, was Cooper’s summarising of the
inquest findings by mocking Jari’s Law.

k. Cooper complains in the report that Jari’s Law will make more work for coroners, then putting in his own personal request for the law to be reconsidered - in a report that was supposed to answer the questions the victim’s family needed answered.

l. As such, it appears that Jari’s coronial inquest was nothing more than a platform for Cooper’s vendetta against me and my efforts to campaign for justice in the death of my son and the inquest he never wanted to do.

m. It is extremely worrying that someone in Cooper’s position of power would use a grieving family’s coronial inquest to do so.

n. If Cooper can openly admit his disapproval for this inquest in the findings, no less, then he is admitting his unwillingness to do his job and allow families the
answers and closure they need.

o. As such, the Tasmanian Department of Justice cannot in good faith claim that Cooper has fulfilled the following criteria set by the Tasmanian Government in regards to coronial inquests:

“An inquest is intended to be an independent, objective, fair examination of the
available evidence relating to the circumstances of a person’s unexpected or unnatural death. 

It follows from the fact that an inquest is a search for the truth, that it is neither a witch-hunt nor a whitewash.

*- Coronial Practice Handbook, Magistrates Court of Tasmania. 

Cooper’s bias and dislike for Jari and his family is clear to anyone reading the report - in fact, I have been reached out to by many in our community who have fairly and accurately stated this.

5. Coopers ego is not more important than peace and justice for our family - or any family unfortunate enough to be assigned Cooper for their inquest.

6. Moreover, it is not more important than domestic violence-related killings being taken seriously by our judicial system and properly investigated in the midst of a massive domestic violence crisis.

7. It is the belief held by many members of our community that if Cooper is unwilling to do
the job he is paid by us to do, then he must be forced to step aside and allow someone who is willing.

(i.e. who remains professional and gives only non-biased opinions as opposed to rants and personal opinions when dealing with such sensitive matters) to do so.

8. If Tasmania’s coronial division is as easily overwhelmed by having to properly investigate domestic violence related killings during a domestic violence crisis as Cooper alleges it is, then the solution is NOT to allow a public servant to peddle his own political beliefs in a grieving family’s inquest findings.

It is to hire more coroners.