Coronial law

Harry Lambert of Outer Temple Chambers continues his captivating series for NLJ, this time exploring how emerging neurotechnology may revolutionise coronial law. With devices like Apple’s EEG-enabled AirPods and Meta’s Neural Band capturing brain activity, Lambert argues coroners could soon analyse neural data to determine cause, intent, and timing of death

As neurotechnology increasingly embeds itself in everyday life, the coroner’s court faces a new frontier—where neural data could illuminate the mysteries of death with scientific precision & profound ethical consequences. Harry Lambert reports

“Its practical focus will remain most useful to the less specialist advocate, but it is has much to offer the more seasoned practitioner”

People will continue to go abroad to die, risking prosecution, once the assisted dying Bill becomes law, a solicitor has warned

The amended Bill disapplies the coroner’s statutory duty to investigate, so assisted deaths would receive less judicial oversight than other unnatural deaths, writes HH Thomas Teague KC

A former chief coroner of England and Wales expresses surprise that the important safeguard of coronial oversight has been lifted from those seeking an assisted death, in this week’s NLJ.

A landmark report has found bereaved interviewees aren’t always informed about legal representation and many highlight a lack of sensitivity

The chief coroner has called for retired circuit judges to be empowered to conduct judge-led inquests

David Regan explores the coronial role in defining the concept of neglect

A finding of neglect at an inquest can have ‘profound implications’ and ‘invariably carries with it an element of censure’, but what are its boundaries and limits?