She is more than ready to speak her mind about ''the nanny state'', the questionable wisdom of liquor rules to prevent street violence and the lack of resources that cause delays and add to the grief of the bereaved.

At the end of the month, she will be holding court again - at a TEDx conference at the Sydney Opera House, where she will talk about the difference between vengeance and justice.

''I fear that as often as not, what people really want is vengeance,'' she said. ''Of course, it applies not just to coronial matters but to criminal matters generally - and I was a criminal magistrate and defence lawyer for a long time.''

In her time as state coroner, she helped reduce the backlog of inquests but fears lack of resources means that won't last.

Ms Jerram said part of the problem was a lack of pathologists. There was a lengthy wait for the post-mortem examination report before the coroner could even begin the inquest. ''Forensic pathologists are very thin on the ground,'' she said.

''The Glebe mortuary is old-fashioned and they haven't got an MRI scanner, for example. At Newcastle, they have a very energetic pathologist who has got this fantastic new mortuary with all mod-cons. In my view, you could probably have hugely fewer autopsies if you had the full equipment.

''You know, when we hear about someone famous who dies in New York and everything is done, including the drug count, within three days - well, that doesn't happen here.

''Unless there was something glaring, we wouldn't have known for weeks what the cause of death was. We would have had to wait weeks for the drugs analysis and then more weeks for the actual post-mortem report before you could get an inquest going.''

Her second concern is the idea that increased safety can eliminate accidents.

''Sometimes people expect miracles from the coroner but, in fact, accidents will happen and they will go on happening - and I don't think we ought to become a nanny state. It is one reason why I think recommendations [by a coroner] should be made very sparingly,'' she said.

''A coroner once recommended after somebody jumped off the Gap [a cliff in Sydney's eastern suburbs] that the whole coastline of NSW should be fenced. Now, that's just plain silly.''

Asked if she would have made the recommendation by the state Education Department that all schools carry out an audit their trees after a branch fell and killed eight-year-old Bridget Wright at Pitt Town in February, she hesitated briefly. ''I would have certainly been worried if I had been asked to make that recommendation,'' she said.

Ms Jerram was also careful about how she defined the outcome of legal findings.

''I never use the word 'closure' if I can help it because I don't actually believe that there is closure anyway,'' she said. ''Grief goes on and on; it calms down over time but we can't really give closure.

Of the new late-night drinking legislation to try and curb street violence, Ms Jerram is unconvinced.

''I completely think it is a political, knee-jerk reaction.

''I feel very sad for the families and I understand why they are calling for action but I don't think that's the action that will actually help much. If at all.''

TEDx at the Sydney Opera House is on April 26.

Prosecution not likely in police killing

The NSW coroner's report into the fatal shooting by police of mentally ill student Elijah Holcombe is not expected to refer the case to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for further criminal investigation.

Coroner Mary Jerram, who retired last November, indicated that although the option to refer the matter back to the DPP remained open, it was unlikely to be her final recommendation.

The report is due to be handed down next month.

Holcombe, 24, died after being shot once in the chest by Senior Constable Andrew Rich in an Armidale laneway on June 2, 2009.

The matter went to the Court of Appeal for a ruling about the evidence the coroner could receive, before in March - nearly five years after the shooting - Constable Rich gave evidence to the inquiry.

He told the court he had no memory of the crucial moments before and during the fatal shooting.

Asked by Ms Jerram, who is preparing the final report on the case despite having retired, when the loss of memory had taken place, Senior Constable Rich replied ''over time''.

''You had memory on the day of the incident and the next day … has it blanked out since then?'' she asked.

''Yes,'' Constable Rich replied. ''There is basically nothing [I remember] from further on that day.''

Speaking publicly for the first time about the case, Ms Jerram said the DPP's office took almost two years to decide it would not proceed because it thought the evidence was not sufficient for a jury to convict.

''I don't always agree with the DPP,'' she said. ''Theoretically, I could contradict the DPP. I think it's pointless.''

The likely outcome is that the coroner will recommend that police extend the training of officers on how to handle individuals thought to have mental health problems.

Police have tendered material to the inquest to show they are running fuller courses about mental health.

Ms Jerram said: ''I can see that already there have been changes, and the more the better. It's clear police have acted in the past year or two to improve training in mental illness.''