It’s time to replace the locally-funded coronial system in England and Wales with a taxpayer-funded national service, lawyer Veronica Cowan writes in this week’s NLJ. The investigation into deaths at Gosport War Memorial Hospital ‘has shone a troubling light’ on the system, she writes. There, the senior coroner for Portsmouth East had planned to conduct inquests in only ten out of 92 cases amid costs concerns and had warned the Ministry of Justice and Department of Health that the inquests would be a ‘crushing expense for the council’.
28 June 2018
Coroners’ issues under scrutiny
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Maguire Family Law—Jennifer Hudec, Ciara Florey, Alice Ferguson & Ruth Wynn
Maguire Family Law announces partner promotion and new hires amid a record year for enquiries
Switalskis—Rebecca Parry & Hannah Gamble
Switalskis wills and probate team extends reach with two appointments
Withers—Sophie Barrett-Brown
Withers drives further growth in its UK immigration team with new partner Sophie Barrett-Brown
NEWS
Restrictions on workplace non-disclosure agreements could make settlements slower, more complex and more expensive when reforms expected in 2027 take effect
Private prosecutors face closer scrutiny under Crown Prosecution Service guidance designed to strengthen accountability and consistency when intervention is requested
Foreign states cannot necessarily claim immunity for cyber operations launched abroad against computers in Britain, following a divided Supreme Court ruling
Defendants who make unsupported complaints about their lawyers risk losing legal aid while confiscation proceedings continue without representation
Lawyers advising Russian clients face different sanctions restrictions across the UK, EU and US, despite their shared objective of increasing pressure on Russia
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
