The Ministry of Justice is calling for lawyers’ views on historic reforms to the coroners’ system.
The reforms, introduced in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and scheduled to be in place by April 2012, include the appointment of a chief coroner and national leadership team.
Bereaved family members would have a right to request information used by coroners to make their decisions, there would be a national appeals system, inquests would answer the questions of family members where possible, and inquests could be transferred between different coroner areas.
Lawyers and interested parties are being asked for their views on: which deaths need to be reported to coroners, the criteria for transferring cases, increasing coroner’s powers to compel evidence to be produced, the new appeals system and how to ensure bereaved families and other parties are able to access the information made available to coroners.
Justice Minister Bridget Prentice said some grieving families found the system “confusing or alienating”.
The consultation, Reform of the Coroner System, closes on 1 July 2010. A final consultation will be held next year.
