Coroners' inquests

Purpose and scope of a Coroner's inquest

The inquisitorial nature of Coroners' inquests is vastly different to the adversarial tribunals in which corporate crime/regulatory lawyers typically find themselves. Practice Note: The purpose and scope of coroners' inquests assists practitioners representing clients before a coroner’s inquest and explains the inquest process in England and Wales as provided under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (CJA 2009). It explains how a coroner is an independent judicial officer, with a statutory duty under CJA 2009, s 1 to hold an investigation into a death when it has been referred as soon as practicable. It examines when an inquest must take place, the duties of a coroner, the purpose of an inquest, scope of a coroner’s inquest (a decision subject to judicial review) and the key features of an inquest. It also explains the structure of the coroner’s courts, how to become involved in the inquest process and the rights of properly interested persons to an inquest. It also explains the important distinction between the traditional scope of an inquest (Jamieson inquests) and the broader scoped Middleton inquests, often called Article