INQUEST REPRESENTATION

Specialists in Inquest Law and Coroners Court Cases

Our barristers have represented many different interested persons and organisations at inquests over the years. Our barristers can advise on evidence, witness testimony, preparation for an inquest, and represent parties at inquests.

Cases we have covered include:

• Article 2 Inquests
• Deaths in Care Homes
• Deaths in Children’s Homes
• Deaths in Police Custody
• Prison Deaths
• Infant Deaths in Obstetric Units
• Deaths on the Roads
• Deaths in Hospitals
• Alleged Suicides
• Suspicious Deaths
• Workplace Accidents
• Overseas Deaths
• Poisonings and Drug Overdoses
• Neglect
• Gross Negligence Manslaughter Allegations
• Homicide Allegations
• Deaths on Ships
  

The coronial process is complex and requires significant preparation. Coroners usually hold pre-inquest review hearings to identify the witenesses that should give oral evdience and those whose statements can be read. A coroner will make enquiries on behalf of a party, if it assists the coroner in their task of identifying who, when, where and how someone came about their death. A coroner will empanel a jury in some inquests, usually Article 2 inquests. Article 2 inquests are more detailed in their scope, scrutinising the policy and practice framework that may have been operational at the time of the deceased’s death, for example prison and police systems, hopsital and care systems. In some instances, a coroner will rely on expert opinion, to assist them in coming to a conclusion (previously known as a “verdict”).

A coroner has jurisdiction to examine a death if it was an unusual or violent death, or one which was unexpected. Some unexepcedt deaths are, of course, by way of natural causes. But some deaths will have come about due to accident, suicide, a RTA, through viilence being inflicted, in the workplace (by way of workplace accident). Some deaths will be contributed to by the neglect by others of a person in ndee of medical assistance, which was not provided.

Causing or contributing to death need only be more than minimal for the coroner to find someone or an organisation to have been at fault. While formal findings of fault (in the criminal and civil sense) are not the remit of the coroner, they must still identify those who have been involved in causing or contributing to a death.

A coroner can write a report to prevent future deaths, which is published, and which requires a person or organisation to respond within a given time. A coroner would need to be satisfied that sufficient steps have been taken to reduce the risk of deaths occurring in the same or similar ways in the future.

Contact us now in confidence on 0845 652 0451 for a no obligation chat if you would like more information about our inquest law legal services. We can offer legal advice about preparing for an inquest, advise on expert witness evidence, and attend inquest hearings to represent client interests.

For details of our other legal services see: Our Areas of Work