Procedure at coroners’ inquests


Published by a ÀÏ˾»úÎçÒ¹¸£Àû Corporate Crime expert
Practice notes
COVID-19

Procedure at coroners’ inquests


Published by a ÀÏ˾»úÎçÒ¹¸£Àû Corporate Crime expert

Practice notes
COVID-19
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A coroner conducting an investigation into a death must hold an inquest and that inquest hearing should, wherever possible, be completed within six months from ‘the date on which the coroner is made aware of the death, or as soon as is reasonably practicable after that date’. The procedure to be followed at an inquest is contained in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (CJA 2009) and the Coroners (Inquests) Rules 2013 (the Inquest Rules), SI 2013/1616.

A public hearing

Open justice is fundamental to the common law and is integral to protecting the rights of those involved in court proceedings. This principle applies equally to inquests and is supported by both Articles 2 and 10 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).

This means that the public are entitled to attend inquests, unless the coroner considers it is in the interests of national security to exclude them. Such situations are rare, but if they arise the coroner has no power to exclude the Properly Interested Persons (PIPs). For information on who can become a PIP to an inquest,

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