If a cause of death is suspicious or unknown, the death will be reported to the Coroner to investigate the death. After this, if the cause of death is still unknown, an Inquest will be held. Anyone who is unhappy about the cause of a death can inform a coroner about it, but in most cases a death will be reported to a coroner by a doctor or the police.
A coroner is a doctor or lawyer appointed by a local authority to investigate certain deaths. In Northern Ireland, the Lord Chancellor appoints a coroner. They’re completely independent of the authority and have a separate office and staff. You will find the address of your local coroner’s by searching online. In this article, how to register a death if coroner involved, we take a look at the process and mechanism involved.
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Who informs the Coroner?
When a death occurs in a specific set of circumstances, it is usually a Police Officer who reports it to the Coroner. It may also be reported by a Doctor called to the scene if the death was sudden or accidental, or by a doctor who was treating the deceased if the death was unexpected. The Coroner may also be informed by the Registrar. It should be remembered that although this is the usual protocol, anyone who is unhappy about the precise cause of death can also contact the coroner.
Under what circumstances should the coroner be informed?
The coroner should be informed if the death occurs under the following circumstances:
- Death was sudden, unexplained or under suspicious circumstances.
- The deceased has been ill but was not treated by a Doctor.
- The Doctor attending the deceased has not seen them within 14 days before or after their death.
- Death occurred during an operation or before the individual recovered from the effects of anaesthesia.
- Death may have resulted from an industrial injury or disease, or by accident, violence, abortion, neglect or any kind of poisoning.
- The death took place in police custody, in prison or other type of state detention.
How does this affect registering the death?
Funeral arrangements can be made, but the Registrar cannot register the death until the Coroner has completed their enquiries. These enquiries can take some time, so the Coroner will have to be contacted before a funeral date can be confirmed.
What is the role of the Coroner?
The Coroner’s responsibility is to identify the cause of death. If the Coroner can establish that the death was due to natural causes, and if there is a Doctor who is able to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, you can notify the registrar to register the death and this is the end of the coroner’s involvement.
If the Coroner is not able to determine that the death was due to natural causes then the Coroner will proceed with an investigation into the cause of death, which may include a post-mortem examination and possibly an Inquest. Wherever possible the coroner will, on request, tell you when and where any post-mortem examination will be performed. If the post-mortem has shown the cause of death to be due to natural causes the Coroner may decide that their investigation is complete. The Coroner will release the person who has died into the care of a named funeral director and issue a document to the Registrar, enabling you to register the death.
If, after the post-mortem, the cause of death is still unknown, the Coroner will decide to carry out an inquest.
An inquest is a legal inquiry into a death. Only a coroner can order an inquest and relatives have no right to insist on one. The inquest will be held in public and sometimes with a jury. Relatives may attend an inquest and ask questions of witnesses
An inquest may take place into a death that took place abroad if the body has been returned to the UK.
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Disclaimer: This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice on any individual circumstances.
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