What is an inquest?
An Inquest is a court hearing which is open to the public to establish the identity of the deceased person and when, where and how they died. An inquest must always be held if there is any doubt as to any of these matters.
Who takes part?
The inquest hearing is conducted by a Coroner appointed for the area where the death occurred. The Coroner will open an inquest shortly after the death and then will adjourn the hearing to allow information or evidence to be gathered to assist him/her (or a jury if one is appointed) to arrive at a verdict.
Properly interested parties can ask questions of the witnesses and the coroner at the hearing – these are usually relatives of the deceased or anyone involved in the death.
The verdict
There are prescribed verdicts available to the Coroner or the jury – the more common verdicts are natural causes, open verdict, suicide and accident/misadventure. The verdict does not and cannot attribute blame – the hearing and therefore the verdict is to establish the facts of the death only.
Death Certificate
Once a verdict has been reached, a death certificate reflecting the findings will be submitted to the Registry.
How we can help
If you find yourself involved in an Inquest and you need help to understand the proceedings or representation at those proceedings, we have extensive experience of attending inquests on behalf of families of the deceased and those called to give evidence. We can offer you all the support and advice you may need at what is a difficult time.
