In an inquisitorial process an open mind is not an empty one

R (Gorani) v Assistant Coroner for West London [2022] EWHC 1593 A complete smorgasbord of complaints were adjudicated upon in this recent High Court decision, with the coroner victorious on every point. There is much in the judgment for the reader to feast upon: the headline tasters served up by the Divisional Court are that […]

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More Data on Death: Coroner Statistics Annual Bulletin for 2021

Today, the Ministry of Justice published the most recent Coroners Statistics Annual Bulletin. It covers deaths between January and December 2021 and therefore, as last year, the effects of the Covid pandemic can still be seen throughout. The Bulletin remains a useful guide on the workload of coroners around the country and can be used to […]

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Do buttered parsnips taste better? Publishing coronial conclusions

R (Ture) v Senior Coroner for Manchester North [2022] EWHC 1027 (Admin) It is not really the substance of this permission decision that is of most interest to this blogger… …Spoiler Alert:  the Senior Coroner had done a really good job of expressing her conclusions in what had been a very difficult case both evidentially […]

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No costs award after ‘serious concerns’ about a Coroner’s behaviour during litigation

In the Matter of Downey (Determination Of Costs) [2022] NIQB 2 Where a Coroner as defendant in judicial review proceedings merely provides assistance and information to the court, rather than contesting the proceedings, that Coroner will not generally be liable for the successful Claimant’s costs.[1] The usual rule of ‘costs following the event’ will generally only […]

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