Wednesday, January 7 2009
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Coroner's Service Charter

This Charter, which covers the Coroner's Service for the Eastern District of West Yorkshire, tells you what standards of performance you can expect from the Coroner's Service and what to do if something goes wrong.

H M Coroner, his officers and administrative staff will treat all bereaved relatives and other members of the public courteously and sympathetically at all times, and will give respect to the deceased's religious faith and cultural traditions within the constraints of the statutory duties.                         

We try to be as impartial as possible in finding out the facts surrounding a death which we have to do to comply with the Coroner's statutory responsibilities.

We will keep sensitive information as confidential as possible within a system based on public court hearings.  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. 


Administrative Arrangements
After the Inquest
Explains what will happen after a Coroner's inquest
Applications for Permission to remove a body abroad
The Coroner will make every effort to complete his enquiries and decide such application within five days of receiving notice including weekends and bank holidays.
Burial Orders
After the death has been formally registered, an authorisation for burial is issued by the Registrar unless an inquest has been held.
Coroner's Function
The Coroner has to carry out an enquiry into cases such as these to establish the cause of death, and this sometimes involves a post mortem examination.
Coroner's Officer
The Coroner's Officer, who may be a police officer on secondment or a civilian, helps the Coroner with the investigation into the cause of the death, and is responsible for contacting the nearest relative.
Correspondence
Service standards for correspondence with Coroner's Services
Cremation Orders
Explains the procedure for obtaining a cremation order
Disclosure of Information
The Coroner will request and at his discretion provide interviewed persons not less than ten working days in advance of the inquest copies of the post mortem report for which payment may be required.
Feedback and Complaints
How comments and complaints about the Coroner's Service will be dealt with.
Inquiries not requiring an Inquest
If a death is reported which does not need to be the subject of an inquest, a certificate showing the cause of death will be sent to the Registrar within five working days of the completion of the Coroner's enquiries.
Interviews before the Inquest
If the Coroner or his Officer need to interview someone about a death the aim will be to do so once only, at a time and place convenient to the person concerned.
Jurors
The Coroner will provide jurors with a leaflet explaining the duties of a jury at an inquest and providing other relative information ten days beforehand and give an indication in advance of how long the jury service is likely to last.
Post Mortems
When the Coroner decides that a post mortem has to be carried out, on request the immediate next of kin will be given an explanation as to why it is necessary wherever possible and what is involved.
Registering the Death
The Registrar of Births and Deaths issues the Death Certificate, once the Coroner has passed on details he has obtained from his enquiry.
Release of the Body
The Coroner will release the body of the deceased for the funeral at the earliest opportunity normally within three working days.
Role of the Coroner
The law requires that everyone's death has to be registered, and the death certificate must contain not only the personal details, but also the medical cause of death.
Timing of the Inquest
The Coroner will endeavour to hold an inquest at the earliest possible date usually within three to six months of the death in this District.
Treasure Inquests
Coroners also have responsibility for enquiries into treasure finds.
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