The role of the Coroner and reporting deaths

Coroners are either lawyers or doctors and they have a duty to investigate the circumstances of sudden, unnatural or uncertified deaths that are reported to them. They have to find out the medical cause of the death, if it is not known, and to enquire about the cause of it.  Coroners are also responsible for determining issues of treasure trove.

Kent County Council is responsible for meeting all the costs of the Coroners Service.  The Kent Coroners are appointed by Kent County Council but they are not employees.  They are independent judicial officers.  This means that no one can tell them or direct them as to what they should do but they must follow the laws and regulations which apply. 

Who reports a death to the Coroner?

Anyone who is concerned about the cause of a death can refer it to the Coroner but in most cases a death will be reported by the police, a doctor or a Registrar of births and deaths.

In what circumstances will a death be reported to the Coroner?

If death occurs in any of the following circumstances, it may be reported to the coroner:

• after an accident or injury
• following an industrial disease
• during a surgical operation
• before recovery from an anaesthetic
• if the cause of death is unknown
• if the death was violent or unnatural - for example, suicide, accident or drug or alcohol overdose
• if the death was sudden and unexplained - for instance, a sudden infant death (cot death)
• In addition to this, if the deceased was not seen by the doctor issuing the medical certificate after he or she died, or during the 14 days before the death, the death must be reported to the Coroner.

What happens once the death has been reported?

The coroner may be the only person able to certify the cause of death. The doctor will write on the Formal Notice that the death has been referred to the coroner. The Formal Notice is issued to you by the attending doctor and is a document which explains how you register the death.  The coroner will then decide whether there should be further investigation into the death and the Registrar cannot register the death until notified of the Coroner's decision. This means that the funeral will usually be delayed. Where a post-mortem has taken place, the coroner must give permission for cremation.

Coroners's Officers

The Kent Coroners are supported by Coroners Officers who are employed by Kent Police.  On behalf of the Coroner their role is to receive information of sudden, violent, suspicious or unnatural deaths for which no death certificate has been issued, investigate causes of death by obtaining written statements and collating and assembling evidence, establish contact with relatives of the deceased and their representatives and keep them informed of the procedures and progress, and to arrange post mortems and inquests.