Victorian Coroner Recommends Mental Health Verification for Gun License Renewals
Victorian Coroner Simon McGregor has recommended that firearms licence applicants be required to provide medical evidence of mental fitness, following the suicide of a 42-year-old man who concealed a history of mental illness and substance abuse when renewing his licence. The man owned five registered firearms at the time of his death in December 2024, and Victoria recorded 342 firearm suicides in the decade to 2025. The finding highlights systemic gaps in the current self-reporting model and raises concerns about information access for child protection workers in family violence cases.
Coroner Simon McGregor published findings on June 10, 2026, following an inquest into the death of a Gippsland man identified as 'AT', who took his own life in December 2024 while legally holding licences for five firearms. AT had a documented history of depression, adjustment disorder, and ketamine misuse, including a hospital admission for mental health treatment in 2021, none of which he disclosed when renewing his firearms licence. McGregor described the current system — which relies on applicants ticking a self-declaration box — as having the hallmarks of a 'rubber stamping' process rather than genuine vetting. He recommended that the onus be placed on applicants to provide a doctor's certificate confirming fitness to hold a licence, noting that medical practitioners have no way of knowing a patient owns firearms unless told. The coroner also recommended that child protection workers be given access to firearms licence information during family violence investigations, as AT had been involved in an alleged family violence incident just two months before his death. The findings come shortly after the Victorian government accepted 15 of 16 recommendations from a rapid review of firearm laws — rejecting a proposed cap on the number of guns a person can own — and a government spokesperson said the coroner's recommendations would be considered.
What's missing
Neither source addresses whether other Australian states have mandatory medical certification requirements for firearms licences, which would provide comparative context for evaluating the proposed reform.
How coverage differed
Both outlets reported the core facts consistently. The Sydney Morning Herald provided additional political context, naming Premier Jacinta Allan and Police Minister Anthony Carbines and detailing the Coalition's opposition to firearm caps, while ABC Australia gave more background on the Bondi Beach attack that prompted the rapid review.
What different sources said
- ABC AustraliaCenter
Victorian coroner recommends mental health guarantee for gun owners
- Sydney Morning HeraldCenter
Coroner wants gun licence ‘rubber stamping’ bolstered with medical checks
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