Prime Minister John Howard says he is taking advice on what the Government can do in relation to a coroner's finding that five Australian-based journalists were deliberately killed in East Timor 32 years ago.

Deputy state coroner Dorelle Pinch delivered her findings at the Glebe Coroners Court into the death of Brian Peters, one of the Balibo five. She found the five were killed to prevent them from revealing that Indonesian forces were involved in an attack on the town of Balibo in 1975.

The case will be referred to the federal Attorney-General to consider possible prosecution for war crimes. Mr Howard says he is seeking advice and the Government will do anything it needs to.

"I think the best thing I can do in relation to that is to take some advice as to what is the appropriate thing to do," he said.

"I want to study what the coroner has said. I take what he said seriously. It was a tragic event and we will treat the coroner's report seriously as it should be and if there's anything we need to do, we will do it."

Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer says he would like to discuss recommendations made by the coroner with family members of the Balibo five.

"One of them relates to the possible repatriation or removing of the remains of those who were killed, and we will be consulting with the families to see what their wishes are in relation to that and we'll help out if there is any wish to take action on that front," he said.

Mr Downer also says he will look at the coroner's recommendation for a code of conduct for Australian journalists overseas.

"Our journalists of course, others as well, they take a lot of risks and they operate in a very difficult and dangerous environment, so my department would be very happy to sit down with representatives of Australian journalists and work out a code of conduct which we might be able to assist with," he said.

Federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says any information referred to him by the coroner will be passed on to the Australian Federal Police and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

Mr Ruddock says it is not his role to assess whether any offence has been committed, as the AFP are responsible for war crimes investigations and the DPP is responsible for prosecuting anyone charged.

The sister of Mr Peters, Maureen Tolfrey, says she would like to see members of the Whitlam administration help in the repatriation of the victims' remains from Jakarta.

"I would like to say to Gough Whitlam and Richard Woolcott, you connived to hide the bodies and the remains, perhaps you could connive now to bring them back to Australia and let them lie in rest," he said.