header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
25 June 2021 / Jonathan Landau
Issue: 7938 / Categories: Features
printer mail-detail

The Coroner Service: inequality of arms?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
51852
Jonathan Landau considers key proposals for reforming the Coroner Service—and how likely they are to materialise

The Justice Committee report on the Coroner Service, published on 27 May 2021, included 28 paragraphs of conclusions and recommendations. The two that would have the greatest impact if implemented are a recommendation that the bereaved have access to non means-tested legal aid to fund advocacy at inquests in any case where a public authority is represented, and its renewed call for a National Coroner Service.

Legal aid

The current position is that legal aid to fund advocacy at inquests is only available in very limited cases:

a) where the state has a duty to conduct an enhanced investigation under Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and family representation is necessary to discharge that duty; or

b) the Director of Legal Aid Casework makes a determination that there is a wider public interest in granting legal aid based on a likelihood of significant benefits for a class of person, other than the applicant

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

NLJ Career Profile: John McElroy, London Solicitors Litigation Association

From first-generation student to trailblazing president of the London Solicitors Litigation Association, John McElroy of Fieldfisher reflects on resilience, identity and the power of bringing your whole self to the law

Clarke Willmott—Elaine Field

Clarke Willmott—Elaine Field

Planning and environment team expands with partner hire in Manchester

Birketts—Barbara Hamilton-Bruce

Birketts—Barbara Hamilton-Bruce

Firm appoints chief operating officer to strengthen leadership team

NEWS
Read All
NLJ this week: Sanctions ruling casts ‘wide net’ over global finance
A landmark Supreme Court ruling has underscored the sweeping reach of UK sanctions. In NLJ this week, Brónagh Adams and Harriet Campbell of Penningtons Manches Cooper say the regime is a ‘blunt instrument’ requiring only a factual, not causal, link to restricted goods
NLJ this week: England’s courts cement status as fraud battleground
Fraud claims are surging, with England and Wales increasingly the forum of choice for global disputes. Writing in NLJ this week, Jon Felce of Cooke, Young & Keidan reports claims have risen sharply, with fraud now a major share of litigation and costing billions worldwide
NLJ this week: Mazur ruling puts firms on supervision alert
Litigators digesting Mazur are being urged to tighten oversight and compliance. In his latest 'Insider' column for NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School provides a cut out and keep guide to the ruling’s core test: whether an unauthorised individual is ‘in truth acting on behalf of the authorised individual’
NLJ this week: Landlords’ forced entry powers spark legal divide
Conflicting county court rulings have left landlords uncertain over whether they can force entry after tenants refuse access. In this week's NLJ, Edward Blakeney and Ashpen Rajah of Falcon Chambers outline a split: some judges permit it under CPR 70.2A, others insist only Parliament can authorise such powers
NLJ this week: Push to scrap ‘vague’ public office misconduct law
A wave of scandals has reignited debate over misconduct in public office, criticised as unclear and inconsistently applied. Writing in NLJ this week, Alice Lepeuple of WilmerHale says the offence’s ‘vagueness, overbreadth & inconsistent deployment’ have undermined confidence
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll