Coroner's inquests

Coroner's 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. See Practice Note: The purpose and scope of coroners' inquests the inquest process in England and Wales as provided under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (CJA 2009) is explained. It addresses when an inquest must take place, the duties of a coroner, the purpose of an inquest, scope of a coroner’s inquest and the key features of an inquest. It also explains how to become involved in the inquest process and the rights of properly interested persons to an inquest, which is a special status which can only be granted by the coroner. The different types of inquests which can be held are also explained: the limited scope inquest, known as 'Jamieson Inquests' and the broader scope inquests, referred to as 'Middleton Inquests' or article 2 European Convention of Human Rights inquests.

Preparing for an inquest

The steps which practitioners must take to effectively prepare for an inquest hearing are very different to those required for magistrates'

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