Government should mandate coroners to establish and record whether the deceased has military/veteran status and to consider whether service-related brain injury (TBI) including blast wave and overpressure injuries, could be a contributing factor. It should fund a database to identify any patterns.

This is particularly relevant in cases of suicide where the state has enhanced investigative duties under Article 2 of the ECHR for deaths by suicide. This could help coroners establish if TBI, including blast wave and overpressure injuries, could be contributing to deaths. A centralised, anonymised database may help identify patterns and give families clarity, recognition and justice. We believe these reforms can help ensure investigations are accurate, meaningful, and serve public health.