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My regular feature chatting about my job as Coroner's Officer.
1. The Coroner's Officer - intro and disclaimer
2. What kind of deaths do get referred to the Coroner and when does a Coroner have jurisdiction
3. Who can report a death to the Coroner?
4. Time of death
5. Post mortem examination
6. What is a Coroner's investigation and a Coroner's inquest (incl example of a Coroner's verdict)
7. The Coroner's verdict and prevention of future deaths
8. Murder and/or suspicious deaths
I will add to this list regularly.
Info for authors
I have been approached a few times by authors to enquire if I can help them in regards to Coroner's inquests. I am happy to help!
Of course, I can never talk about actual cases or help with character / story building or give examples from real cases (neither past nor present). My advice can only ever be general, i.e. if you have questions what Coroners and Coroner's Officers practically do, under what laws we work, what do we investigate & how, how does an inquest work etc.
I am also neither a pathologist nor a toxicologist and apart from what I have learned in my years in the Coroner's office, I am not medically trained. So, for example, if I say I can give advice an decomposed bodies, I cannot tell you how a body should look like after how many days etc, but I can tell you what enquires the Coroner would do in cases like this.
I can advice on following:
1. The Coroner's Officer - intro and disclaimer
2. What kind of deaths do get referred to the Coroner and when does a Coroner have jurisdiction
3. Who can report a death to the Coroner?
4. Time of death
5. Post mortem examination
6. What is a Coroner's investigation and a Coroner's inquest (incl example of a Coroner's verdict)
7. The Coroner's verdict and prevention of future deaths
8. Murder and/or suspicious deaths
I will add to this list regularly.
Info for authors
I have been approached a few times by authors to enquire if I can help them in regards to Coroner's inquests. I am happy to help!
Of course, I can never talk about actual cases or help with character / story building or give examples from real cases (neither past nor present). My advice can only ever be general, i.e. if you have questions what Coroners and Coroner's Officers practically do, under what laws we work, what do we investigate & how, how does an inquest work etc.
I am also neither a pathologist nor a toxicologist and apart from what I have learned in my years in the Coroner's office, I am not medically trained. So, for example, if I say I can give advice an decomposed bodies, I cannot tell you how a body should look like after how many days etc, but I can tell you what enquires the Coroner would do in cases like this.
I can advice on following:
- Coroner's Rules
- what contact does the Coroner's office have with bereaved families - step by step
- when do we need a post mortem examination / when can a Doctor sign an MCCD (Medical Certificate of the cause of death)
- when will the Coroner release bodies for funeral arrangements
- what paperwork is required for the different kind of funerals (when a Coroner was involved)
- what does the Coroner do in a murder case / is there going to be an inquest
- variety of cases the Coroner deals with and the different investigations for each: murder / drugs / suicide / train / drowning / accidents - road or otherwise / unknown cause of death / decomposed body / industrial disease / medical / death in police custody or prison or mental health institution
- identification of bodies
As many of you will know, all Coroner's inquests are open inquests. This means that anyone can attend. Ring your local Coroner's office and ask when / where the next inquests are being heard and pop along, sit yourself in the back of the court. Pen/paper and laptop are allowed, but no pictures or cameras in court. And do ring on the day you want to attend in the morning, because cases can get adjourned at very short notice!
NEW
New Coroner's Rules came into force 25 July 2013 and many things have changed, particularly in regards to when we are opening inquest.
<--- Get in touch via email: peggy.farooqi@gmail.com
<--- Get in touch via email: peggy.farooqi@gmail.com
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