The change comes after the release of findings
into the third coronial inquest into the death in
custody of Cameron Doomadgee (pictured) on
Palm Island in 2004.
There has been criticism over a plan for the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC) to take over investigations into deaths in police custody in Queensland.
Last week, a coronial inquest into the 2004 watch-house death of Palm Island man Cameron Doomadgee recommended the CMC investigate such deaths, rather than police themselves.
The CMC says it will now put the recommendation into action.
But it has been criticised by civil libertarian Terry O'Gorman.
"The CMC is as much part of this problem as the QPS [Queensland Police Service] is," he said.
Aboriginal community worker Sam Watson says a CMC report into Mr Doomadgee's death still has not been released.
"Does this mean every family that suffers from a death in custody will have to wait six years before the cmc brings down its findings?" he said.
Mr Watson says he would prefer to see a panel made up of legal representatives and at least one Indigenous representative.
"That panel should have wide-ranging powers in order to fully monitor the investigation and ensure that all witnesses, even police, answer truthfully and give honest accounts of just what happened," he said.
Palm Island mayor Alf Lacey also says there needs to be independence when it comes to investigations into police officers.
"This is the start - I think that they have to prove themselves first before they get any runs on the board," he said.
"Certainly it's not handed to them on a silver platter - they've got to build the confidence, not only of the people of Palm Island but the people of Queensland that they can do the job that they've been tasked with doing.
"The jury's still out on that."
The Queensland Police Union (QPU) says deaths in custody should be investigated by a coroner, who is impartial.
QPU president Ian Leavers says the CMC does not have a good track record in this area.
