When the coroner's investigations are complete, a date for the inquest is set and the people who need to know will be told. Inquests are open to the public and journalists are usually present. From most inquests should take place within 6 months of the death but this may take some time to implement as some parts of the country have rather longer waits.
Inquests are not permitted to determine blame and the conclusion verdict will not identify someone as having criminal or civil liability.
If police charge someone with causing the death, the inquest will not be resumed and the next of kin will be informed of the arrangements made to register the death. This is to avoid two different courts examining the same evidence. If a coroner decides an inquest is necessary it does not mean that all the practical issues have to be delayed until the inquest is complete.
The investigations for inquests can sometimes take weeks or even months depending on the complexity of the case. As well as issuing permission for the funeral to go ahead, the coroner can issue a Certificate of the Fact of Death often referred to as an interim certificate , which can be used to notify asset holders and other organisations of the death and to make an application for probate.
A grant of probate or letters of administration can be obtained and the estate distributed. However some insurance companies will not pay out from any policies held in case the circumstances of the death makes the policy invalid, e. If police are investigating a death in suspicious circumstances, this may also delay distribution of an estate because a beneficiary will be disqualified if they are convicting of causing the death.
A coroner's officer will keep you up to date with what is happening. They will be aware that it can very difficult and frustrating when you are waiting for what seems like a very long time to find out what happened to the person who died and have things fully explained. Often the coroner's officers are waiting for information from police, doctors or other investigatory agencies such as the Health and Safety Executive.
A coroner's officer should contact you at least once every 3 months while you are waiting for the inquest to update you on the progress of the investigation. This is explained on the next page. Home Births, marriages, deaths and nationality Deaths, funerals and cemeteries Coroners The inquest system. Births, marriages, deaths and nationality The inquest system Why has an inquest been opened? PIR hearings can be an important part of the inquest process as many of the important issues will be decided before the inquest hearing itself begins.
If there is a jury they will normally be seated to one side of the room so that they have a clear view of the witness box, the legal representatives and the Coroner. Family members of the deceased will normally sit behind the legal representatives. The inquest is an inquisitorial process rather than an adversarial one; this means that it is an investigation not a trial with contested opponents.
If there is a jury present they are also permitted to ask questions of the witness. At the end of an inquest a conclusion must be reached in relation to the death. If there is a Jury the Coroner will hear legal arguments from PIPs in their absence as to what conclusions should be left for the Jury to consider.
Possible conclusions should only be left to the Jury if they are supported by the evidence that has been heard. If there is no Jury the PIPs will address the Coroner on what conclusions it would be appropriate for the Coroner to reach.
The Coroner or Jury may also be in a position to return a narrative conclusion. The purpose of the inquest is to find out who the deceased person was and how, when and where they died and to provide the details needed for their death to be registered. It is not a trial.
It is not for the Coroner to decide, or appear to decide any question of criminal or civil liability or to apportion guilt or attribute blame. Inquests are open to the public and the media. Coroners decide who should take part to give evidence as witnesses at an inquest. This can include:. We will not reply to your feedback. Don't include any personal or financial information, for example National Insurance, credit card numbers, or phone numbers. The nidirect privacy notice applies to any information you send on this feedback form.
Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence daera-ni. If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.
Contacts for common benefits are listed below. Call Email dcs. Call Email customerservice. Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges infrastructure-ni. For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit. For queries about your identity check, email nida nidirect. For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani accessni.
For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency. For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office. For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre. If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.
If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Enter a valid email address. This feedback form is for issues with the nidirect website only.
0コメント