Policy responses and statements

Name of organisation:

Ministry of Justice

Name of policy document:

Reform of coroner system - Preparing for implementation

Deadline for response:

1 July 2010

Background: Executive summary

The aims of coroner reform are:

• To deliver an improved service for bereaved people.
• To introduce national operational leadership for the first time but ensure the system is embedded better locally.
• To ensure more effective investigations and inquests.

This consultation paper represents the latest step in the Government’s work to reform the coroner system in England and Wales. As at all the previous stages, and following Parliamentary endorsement of the framework and many of the key features of the new system contained in Part One of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, the Government was keen to hear views, from all those with an interest, on several important areas of detail as it takes forward the implementation programme over the next two years.

The Government’s work to reform the death certification system will be subject to separate consultation later this year. While there will be overlap, in the immediate aftermath of a death, between the roles of the coroner and the new medical examiners responsible for independent scrutiny of what are believed to be non-suspicious deaths, the Government's approach is to seek views on these new arrangements through a separate consultation paper.

This is the first stage in a two stage public consultation process. This year, the Government is inviting views on the policy which will inform the drafting of the secondary legislation and the guidance which flows from it. The Government has selected areas where it knows many of those with an interest have ideas they would like to share. These areas are:

The specific deaths which should be reported to coroners.
The criteria, and administrative and financial arrangements, for transferring cases from one coroner to another.
Post-mortem examinations.
Search, entry and seizure powers.
Policy and practice on the disclosure of documents.
The conduct of inquests.
The new appeals & complaints systems.
Training.
Short Death Certificates.

Download this consultation response as a .pdf

Copies of this response are available from:

Lesley Lockhart,
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh,
9 Queen Street,
Edinburgh,
EH2 1JQ.

Tel: 0131 225 7324 ext 608
Fax: 0131 220 3939

[1 July 2010]