About the Coronor
Coroners are officers appointed by the Council and are independent of both Local and Central Government. This page tells you about coroners and what they do.
Contact Details:
Telephone: You can contact the Southampton and New Forest Coroner's Office by telephone on (023) 8067 4266.
Details of service:
Coroners are required to act in accordance with laid down rules and procedures to investigate any sudden or unexplained death. They are officers appointed by the Council and are independent of both Local and Central Government. Most Coroners have a team of people supporting them in their work.
A death is reported to the coroner when:
the deceased has not been treated by a doctor during their illness
the doctor attending the deceased did not see them within 14 days before they died or after death
the death occurred during an operation or before recovery from the effect of an anaesthetic
the death was sudden and unexplained or by suspicious circumstances
the death may be due to an industrial injury or disease, or to accident, violence, neglect or abortion, or to any kind of poisoning
the death occurred in police custody or in prison
A death occurring in any of the above circumstances is usually reported to the Coroner by the police, or by a doctor called to the death if it was sudden or accidental. It may also be reported by a doctor who was treating the deceased if the death was unexpected. The Registrar may also report a death to the Coroner. Once any death has been reported to the Coroner the Registrar cannot register the death until the Coroner's enquiries are complete. These enquiries can take some time so you will need to contact a funeral director who can liaise with the Coroner on your behalf.
The Coroner may be able to establish that the death was due to natural causes and that there is a doctor who is able to issue a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death. If this is the case then you will need to attend a Register Office to register the death.
If the Coroner is unable to do so then he will arrange for the deceased to be taken to the local hospital where, as required by law, a post-mortem examination will be performed. (You do not have to use the Funeral Director who acts for the Coroner to carry out the funeral arrangements) This examination often shows that the death was due to natural causes and in such cases no inquest is required. Provided you have been in touch with a funeral director or the Coroner's office you will be informed when the document has been issued by the Coroner which will allow you to attend a Register Office to register the death.
The Coroner holds a medical/legal enquiry into the death of the deceased, but this is not a trial. The purpose of an inquest is to establish the identity of the deceased, when, where and how the death occurred and to establish the facts required by the Registrar. In some cases the Coroner will then adjourn the inquest and issue a form to allow the funeral to take place. Where there is a delay between the death and the holding of an inquest it is possible for the coroner to issue interim death certificates if requested. Contact the Coroner responsible for the inquest.
An inquest adjourned will be re-opened at a later date to determine the circumstances surrounding the death. This may involve witnesses being called, who are legally
Registering a Death after an Inquest
This page gives you information on the process for registering a death after an inquest.
Last updated: 22 October 2008
