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The coroner is an independent judicial officer presiding
over a court of record within the English judicial system. The
office is one of the oldest known to English law and is usually
dated to 1194.
The historical role of the coroner
The office was originally created to provide a local official
whose primary duty was to protect the financial interest of the
crown in criminal proceedings.
The coroner was referred to as the "keeper of the king's
pleas".
Anyone who found a body whose death was thought to be sudden or
unnatural was required to raise the "hue and cry" and to notify the
coroner.
Failure to summon the coroner could result in individual or
community fines.
Over the centuries the coroner's responsibilities changed until
the coroners Act of 1887 consolidated their present role.
The present role of the coroner
The coroner has a duty to investigate the circumstances of
sudden, unnatural or uncertified deaths that are reported to
him.
They have to find out the medical cause of the death, if it is
not known, and to enquire about the cause of it - if it was due to
violence or was otherwise unnatural.
In addition the coroner is responsible for determining issues of
treasure trove.
Who reports the death to the coroner
Deaths will normally be reported to the coroner by the police, a
doctor or a registrar of births and deaths.
This can happen when no doctor has treated the deceased during
his or her last illness or when the death was sudden, unexpected or
unnatural.
What happens once the death has been reported
Even where a death has been reported, the coroner may decide,
after preliminary questioning, that death was quite natural and the
investigation should go no further.
Where a death has been reported to the coroner the deceased will
be moved to the mortuary at a local hospital.
The county council is responsible for removing the deceased from
the place of death to the mortuary.
If you would like more information about these arrangements
please contact the registration and coroners manager on 01622
221003.
The deceased is now under the coroner's jurisdiction and will
remain so until the coroner releases the body for the funeral
arrangements to be made.
Post mortems
If the coroner decides that a medical examination of the
deceased is required, a pathologist will carry out a post mortem
that will take place at the local hospital.
If the post mortem shows the death to have been a natural one,
there may be no need for an inquest, however, if the death is not
due to a natural cause then the coroner will hold an inquest.
Inquests
An inquest is not a trial. It is a limited inquiry to find out
who has died, and how, when and where they died. It is not the job
of the coroner to blame anyone for the death, as a trial would
do.
Most inquests are held without a jury. There are particular
reasons when a jury will be called, including if the death occurred
in prison, in police custody or if the death resulted from an
incident at work.
In every inquest held with a jury, it is the jury, and not the
coroner, which makes the final decision (this is called returning
the verdict). Jurors are paid expenses and some money towards loss
of earnings.
If the body is brought into or taken out of the country
The coroner must be notified in every case when a body is to be
taken out of England and Wales, whether or not there has been an
inquest.
When a body has been brought into England and Wales from another
country the coroner may be able to give some help in finding the
cause of death and may be required to hold an inquest.
Coroners in Kent
In Kent there are four coroners covering the county and Medway
unitary council areas.
By agreement these coroners are appointed by the county council
and both the county and Medway unitary councils meet the cost of
the service.
Coroners are not local government officers but independent
judicial officers - this means that no one else can tell them or
direct them as to what they should do but they must follow the laws
and regulations which apply.
The four coroners for Kent are:
- Central and south east Kent - Mrs Rachel Redman 01622
820412
- North east Kent - Ms Rebecca Cobb 01843 863260
- Mid Kent and Medway - Mr Roger Sykes 01580 714182
- North west Kent - Mr Roger Hatch 01322 226281
You can also contact the registration and coroners manager on
01622 221003. |