The majority of Coroners are practising solicitors – some are both medical practitioners and barristers.

Inquiries into:

– violent, suspicious or unexplained deaths, unnatural or sudden death of which the cause is unknown.

– death in prison.

– removal of corpses from the country

– ownership of treasure trove.

He may convene an inquest, and must do so in certain circumstances.

He may summon medical, dental and other witnesses.

The Coroner should be informed:

– when no doctor has treated the deceased for his/her last illness

– when the doctor attending did not see the deceased within 14 days preceding death or following death.

– when death occurred during an operation or before recovery, (or within 24 hours) where any form of treatment, including drug therapy, minor operations under LA and dental procedures may be suspected of having some relevance to having contributed to or accelerated death.

– when the death was sudden and unexplained or attended by suspicious circumstances.

– when the death might be due to an industrial injury, disease or accident, violence, neglect, abortion or to any kind of poisoning.

DOCTOR POLICE PUBLIC REGISTRAR OF DEATHS

Report Deaths

CORONER NO Autopsy

Certification & Registration

Natural Causes

Autopsy Ordered

INQUEST – unlawful killing
– accidental death
– misadventure
– suicide
– natural causes
– industrial disease
– open verdict

Flow diagram showing routes of information involved with a Coroner's inquiry: