HM Coroner

Who are Coroners?

Coroners are Independent Judicial Officers. This means that no one can tell them or direct them as to what they should do but they must follow the laws & regulations which apply. The country has a number of Coroners who are appointed for specific geographical areas.

What Does The Coroner do?

A Coroner enquires into those deaths reported to him. It is his duty to find out the cause of death.

How are deaths reported?

Deaths are usually reported to the Coroner by the police or by a doctor called to the death if it is sudden. In other cases, the local Registrar of Deaths may make a report.

Whenever the death has been reported to the Coroner the registrar must wait for the Coroner to finish his or her enquiries before the death can be registered.

What will the coroner do?

The Coroner may decide death was quite natural, in this case the Coroner will advise the Registrar.

The Coroner may ask a Pathologist to examine the body. If the examination shows the death to have been natural again the registrar will be advised, so that the death can be registered and burial or cremation can take place.

If the death is not a natural one

The Coroner will hold an inquest, which could be with a Jury and witnesses

Will the inquest decide who is to blame?

No. An inquest is not a trial. It is an inquiry into the facts surrounding a death. It is not the job of the Coroner to allocate blame or deal with matters of criminal or civil liability.

What is the purpose of an inquest?

The inquest is an inquiry to find out who has died, and how, when and where they died and if appropriate to draw matters to the attention of the relevant authorities and to make appropriate recommendations.

Your involvement in the process

You may be involved in the Inquest process either as a close family member; a work colleague a witness or otherwise. You may be able to seek advice and representation to assist you in such involvement.

Contact with Coroners office

You can contact the Coroner, the Coroners Officers and the Coroners Clerk who will do all they can to assist and help you through the process