The John Tonge Centre (commonly referred to as the JTC) is the mortuary for Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services (FSS - formerly Queensland Health Scientific Services) and responsible for conducting autopsies in Brisbane (and much of South-East Queensland in Australia) on people whose deaths make them subject to the Coroner's Act. Such deaths include accidents, suicides, homicides, deaths during surgery and anything for which a doctor is unwilling to issue a medical cause of death certificate for. In cases when the family is called upon to attend the Centre to identify a loved one counselling services are generally available.[1] The John Tonge Centre performs some 1200 autopsies annually and is adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Hospital on Kessels Road in Coopers Plains.
There have been accusations of long delays in DNA testing for criminal cases and further accusations about poor treatment of the dead. In 2005 an employee of the centre was under investigation regarding stolen body parts, based on written accusations by colleagues from some years before.[2]
A twenty-six million dollar construction operation was undertaken to help rectify the existing problems[3] and the John Tonge Centre now has an annual budget of forty-five million dollars[4] with a massive resulting reduction in the DNA backlog.