WORCESTERSHIRE CORONER’S CHARTER

General

Application

This charter tells you what standards of performance are to be expected in the Coroner Service, and what to do if something goes wrong.This charter relates to the Coroner Service in Worcestershire.

Legal Position

The Coroner Service operates within a legal framework. It is the duty of the Coroner to investigate deaths which are reported to him and which appear to be due to violence, or are unnatural, or are sudden and of unknown cause, or which occur in legal custody, and to carry out certain related responsibilities.

Conduct

The Coroner and his staff will treat the bereaved and other members of the public courteously and sympathetically at all times, and will have regard, within the constraints of their statutory duties, to the deceased's religious faith and cultural traditions.

Duties will be discharged impartially, with a view to ascertaining the facts surrounding a death for the purpose of fulfilling the Coroner's statutory responsibilities.

Confidentiality will be preserved as far as possible within a system based on public courthearings. Explanations for the procedures adopted in particular cases will be given, on request, where the Coroner is satisfied that the person has a proper interest.

Correspondence

Written enquiries to the Coroner will normally receive a reply within 10 working days of receipt by him. If the matter cannot be resolved within that time, an acknowledgement will be issued within 10 working days with an estimate of when a substantive reply will be given.

Contact and enquiry points

The Coroner can be contacted either through his Officers or through the Court Office. Enquiries about current matters should, in the first instance, be directed to the Coroner’s Officers at:-

Worcester (Castle Street)tel no: 01905 331026 or
Redditch (Grove Street)tel no: 01527 586186

Officers are available from approximately 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday on these numbers. Out of hours calls can in an emergency be made to the local police stations.

Enquiries about completed cases or about the administration of the Coroner Service should be directed to the Court Office:

by telephone: 01299 824029,

by E-mail: coroner@worcestershire.gov.uk

by post: The Courthouse, Bewdley Road, Stourport on Severn DY13 8XE

Court hearings are  held at The Coroner's Court, The Court House, Bewdley Road, Stourport-on-Severn, Worcs. DY13 8XE. This building has only limited disability provision: it is wise to give warning in advance of particular disability needs.

A map giving directions to the location of the courts is available upon request.

The Coroner and his staff will identify themselves by name in their dealings with members of the public. Deputy and Assistant Deputy Coroners act when the Coroner is not available. In doing so, they exercise the full powers of the Coroner.

Inquiries not requiring an inquest

If a death is reported which does not need to be the subject of an inquest, a certificate giving the cause of death will be sent to the Registrar of Deaths within 5 working days of the completion of the Coroner's enquiries.

Before the inquest

Interviews

If the Coroner or his staff need to interview someone about a death, the aim will be to do so no more than once, at a time and place convenient to the person concerned. If the person wishes, they may be accompanied during the interview by a relative, friend or other person. Every effort will be made to avoid causing any additional distress to close friends or relatives of the deceased. A copy of any statement to be used at the inquest will be provided to the person who made it, on request, at least 10 working days in advance of the hearing (unless the Coroner has good reason not to release it).

Post mortems

When the Coroner decides that a post mortem is necessary, wherever possible, the immediate next of kin whose details are known will be given:

• an explanation why a post mortem is necessary and what is involved, if requested;
• advance notice of any arrangements, so that they may be represented (by a doctor) if they wish (but post mortem examinations must normally be undertaken as soon as possible,usually within 24 hours of the discovery of the death). Notice may not always be practicable;
• a copy of the post mortem report, if requested (this is normally available within two months).
• Administrative arrangements
• The Coroner will notify those asked to attend an inquest;
  the date and time of each hearing (if more than one) at least 10 working days in advance (but note that the formal opening of the inquest - for taking evidence of identity and the medical cause of death - will generally take place within 4 working days of the report of the death, at which point the body will normally be released);
• details of the location of the court where the inquest will be held and of the facilities which will be available there;
• details of the telephone number and a named contact for enquiries;

and will

• Provide information to the next of kin explaining the purpose and procedures of inquests;
• advise those who express a wish to do so that they may attend an inquest as an observer beforehand;
• explain to those called as a witness or juror how to claim for travel and subsistence expenses and for financial loss allowances;
• ascertain any preference for the giving of evidence (e.g. in accordance with specific religious beliefs, or on affirmation).

Timing

The Coroner will endeavour to hold any necessary inquest at the earliest possible date.Most inquests in Worcestershire take place within 3 months of the death. In road and industrial deaths the investigation file is often not available within that time and this period can be extended considerably. Delays can also occur in cases for which a jury has to be summoned. In addition there may may be factors outside the Coroner's control which can cause delay. Where the inquest is likely to be delayed, the Coroner will, on a regular basis, notify interested persons of the position, including the reasons for any continuing delay, unless the inquest has been formally adjourned to a specific date.

Release of the body

The Coroner will release the body of the deceased for the funeral at the earliest opportunity, normally within 48 hours of completion of any post mortem examination. Where there are uncertainties as to the cause of death, or where the death is suspicious, it maybe necessary to retain the body longer for further investigation. The Coroner will ensure that relatives are advised of potential delays and the reasons for them.

Disclosure of information

The Coroner will, on request and at his discretion, provide to interested persons not less than 10 working days in advance of the inquest copies of the post mortem report, for which payment may be required.

Jurors

For jurors, the Coroner will:

• send a leaflet explaining the duties of a juror at an inquest, and providing other relevant information, 10 days beforehand;
• provide an indication in advance of how long the jury service will last.

After the inquest

On the conclusion of the inquest, the next of kin will be provided with a written explanation about how, where and when a copy of the death certificate may be obtained.

If, in the interests of preventing further fatalities, the Coroner decides to report the matter to a relevant person or authority, he will do so within 5 working days of the inquest outcome. He will also send copies of his letter to all the interested persons. A copy of any subsequent reply to the Coroner will be sent to those interested persons within 3 working days of receipt.Should the Coroner take any further steps in connection with a report made by him he will notify those persons properly interested so that they can be involved further should they so choose.

The Coroner will supply to any interested person, on application, a copy of the statements or documents that were produced in evidence, within 10 working days of receipt of the prescribed fee (which will vary according to the number and size of the documents to be copied). An estimate of the fee will be provided in advance if requested.

The Coroner will also supply, for the prescribed fee, a copy of the tape recording of the Inquest or a transcript of the evidence, but this may take up to 6 weeks to provide. In all cases, an estimate of the fee will be given on application.

The County Council, who provide administrative support, will pay witness and juror expenses claims promptly and within 10 working days of receipt by them of properly completed applications.

Applications for permission to remove a body abroad

The Coroner will make every effort to complete his enquiries and decide such applications within 5 days of receipt of notice (including weekends and bank holidays).

Treasure inquests

Coroners have responsibilities for enquiries into treasure finds.
Information leaflets about treasure are available from the Coroner's office.

Feedback and complaints

The Coroner will not normally enter into correspondence about the case he has completed, but comments and suggestions on improving the Coroner Service are always welcome.

The aim of the Coroner Service is to provide a service of excellence so that you should have no cause for complaint, but if you do, the complaint will be dealt with speedily and courteously.

All complaints about the administration of the Worcestershire Coroner Service, or the conduct of individual Coroners or their Officers should be raised in the first instance with the Coroner by writing to

The Court House, Bewdley Road, Stourport on Severn, Worcestershire, DY13 8XE

Complaints about the Coroner's decision or the outcome of an inquest can only be dealt with through the High Court. The Coroner's office will be able to explain the procedure on request, but cannot give legal advice

If the Coroner fails to deal with the complaint satisfactorily, the complainant may refer it to the Ministry of Justice:

Coroners Division, Ministry of Justice, 102 Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ

Phone: 020 7210 0049 / 0066        Fax: 0870 739 5849

The Ministry of Justice has no disciplinary powers or powers to award compensation but may, in appropriate cases, refer the complaint to the Lord Chancellor who is responsible for the discipline of Coroners.

Performance

The Coroner's and Council's performance will be monitored regularly against the standards detailed in this document.

Further information

Further copies of this charter may be obtained from the Coroner's office. General information is contained in the Ministry of Justice leaflet "The Work of the Coroner", also available from the Coroner's office, or from police stations/hospitals/libraries/County Hall.

This charter was first issued on 1st February 2001.

Last updated 31. 08. 08