Coroner's Office

The purpose of the Coroner

Coroners operate within a legal framework. It is the principal duty of Coroners to investigate deaths which are reported to them and which appear to be due to violence, or are unnatural, or are sudden and of unknown cause, or which occur in legal custody. Coroners also carry out certain related responsibilities.

Conduct

The Coroner and the Coroner's staff will treat the bereaved and other members of the public courteously and sympathetically at all times, and will have regard, within the constraints of the legal framework, to the deceased's religious faith and cultural traditions.

Duties will be discharged impartially, with a view to ascertaining the facts surrounding a death for the purpose of the Coroner's statutory responsibilities.

Confidentiality, will be preserved as far as possible within a system based on public court hearings. Explanations for the procedures adopted in particular cases will be given, on written request, where the Coroner is satisfied that the person enquiring has a proper interest.

Correspondence

Written enquiries to the Coroner will normally receive a reply within ten working days of receipt. If the matter cannot be resolved within that time, an acknowledgement will be issued within five working days, with an estimate of when a substantive reply will be sent.

Contact and enquiry points

The office is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. In an emergency and out of office hours, contact can be made through the Staffordshire Police Headquarters (24 hours) on 0845 330 20 10.

Details of the names and telephone numbers of the Coroner for Staffordshire South, the Coroner's staff, the Coroner's officers , the major hospitals in or near to the Staffordshire (South) Coroner's district and the Registrars of Births and Deaths in the area are available here.

Andrew Adrian Haigh - H M Coroner John Arthur William James - H M Deputy Coroner Stuart Peter Knowles -  H M Assistant Deputy Coroner Robert G M Hughes - H M Assistant Deputy Coroner	Coroner's Office 79 Eastgate Street Stafford ST16 2NG
Eliza Hughes Office Manager* Coroner's Clerk (Mon - Tues)	*Telephone: 01785 276126
Shirley Gregusson Coroner's Clerk (Wed - Fri)	Telephone: 01785 276127 Fax: 01785 276128

Court hearings are mainly held at Stafford, Burton or at the Coroner's Court, Beech Tree Lane, Cannock, but in special circumstances, may be held somewhere else. Those having to attend court who have any special requirements through disability or a requirement for translation or interpretation services are requested to contact the Coroner's Office in advance.

A map and note giving written directions to the location of the Court or the Coroner's Office is available upon request. The location of the Coroner's Court in Cannock is signposted.

The Coroner and the Coroner's staff will identify themselves by name in their dealings with members of the public. The Deputy and Assistant Deputy Coroners act when the Coroner is not available; in doing so, they exercise the full powers of the Coroner.

Before the Inquest

Inquiries not requiring an inquest

If a death is reported which does not need to be the subject of an Inquest, a certificate giving the cause of death will be signed by the Coroner or a Deputy or Assistant Deputy and sent to the Registrar of Births and Deaths within five working days of the completion of the Coroner's enquiries.

Interviews

If the Coroner or the Coroner's staff need to interview someone about a death, the aim will be to do so no more than once, at a time and place mutually convenient. A person may be accompanied during the interview by a relative or friend. Every effort will be made to avoid causing any additional distress to close friends or relatives of the deceased. Unless the Coroner has a good reason not to release it, a copy of any statement to be used at the Inquest will be provided to the person who made it, on written request, at least seven working days in advance of the hearing.

Postmortems

When the Coroner decides that a Postmortem is necessary, wherever possible, the immediate next of kin, whose details are known, will be given:

• an explanation why a Postmortem is necessary and what is involved, if requested;
• advance notice of the arrangements, so that they may be represented (by a doctor) if they wish (but Postmortem examinations must normally be under-taken as soon as possible, usually within twenty four hours of the discovery of the death). Notice may not always be practicable
• a copy of the Postmortem report, if requested in writing.

Administrative arrangements

The Coroner will notify those asked to attend an Inquest and will inform them of:

• the date and time of the hearing or hearings at least ten working days in advance. The formal opening of the Inquest - for taking evidence of identify and the medical cause of death - will generally take place within five days of the report of the death, at which point the body will normally be released
• details of the location of the court where the Inquest will be held and of the facilities which will be available there
• details of the telephone number and a (named) contact for enquiries
• the availability of a leaflet explaining the purpose and procedures of Inquests
• the facility, for those who express a wish to do so, to attend an Inquest as an observer beforehand
• the way in which those called as a witness or juror can claim for travel and subsistence expenses and for financial loss allowances

The Coroner will also ask those required to give evidence whether they have any preference for swearing evidence (eg. in accordance with specified religious beliefs), or an affirmation.

Timing

The Coroner will endeavour to hold any necessary Inquest at the earliest possible date. Most Inquests in the Staffordshire (South) area take place within six months of the death. However, there may be factors outside the Coroner's control which can cause delays. Where the Inquest is likely to be delayed beyond three months the Coroner will endeavour to update interested persons of the position, including the reasons for any continuing delay, on a regular basis, unless the Inquest has been formally adjourned to a specific date.

Release of the body

The Coroner will release the body of the deceased for the funeral at the earliest opportunity, normally within forty eight hours of the completion of any Postmortem examination. Where there are uncertainties as to the cause of death, or where the death is suspicious, it may be necessary to retain the body longer for further investigation. The Coroner will ensure that relatives are advised of potential delays and the reasons for them.

Disclosure of information

The Coroner will, on written request and at his discretion, provide to interested persons not less than ten working days in advance of the Inquest copies of the Postmortem report, for which payment may be required.

Jurors

For Jurors, the Coroner will:

• send a leaflet explaining the duties of a Juror at an Inquest, and providing other relevant information, ten days beforehand
• provide an indication in advance of how long the Jury service is likely to last.

After the Inquest

At the conclusion of the Inquest, the next of kin will be provided with a written explanation about how, where and when a copy of the death certificate may be obtained.

If, in the interests of preventing further fatalities, the Coroner decides to report the matter to a relevant person or authority, he will do so within ten working days of the conclusion of the Inquest.

The Coroner will supply to an interested person, on written application, a copy of the Inquest verdict (although this is reproduced on the death certificate), or any of the documents produced in evidence (if he is able to supply them), within ten working days of receipt of the prescribed fee (which will vary according to the number and size of the documents to be copied). An estimate of the fee will be provided in advance if requested.

The Coroner will also supply, for the prescribed fee, a copy of his notes or tapes of evidence, but this may take up to six weeks to provide. In all cases, an estimate of the fee will be given on application. The local authority will directly or through the Coroner pay proper witness and juror expenses / claims promptly and within ten working days of receipt of properly completed applications.

Applications for permission to remove a body abroad

The Coroner will make every effort to complete the necessary enquiries and decide such applications within five working days of receipt of notice (including weekends and bank holidays).

Feedback and complaints

Coroners will not normally enter into correspondence about the cases they have completed, but comments and suggestions on improving the Coroner's Service are always welcome. The aim of the Coroner is to provide a service of excellence so that you should have no cause for complaint, but if you do, the complaint will be dealt with speedily and courteously.

Last Modified: 17/04/2008 14:31:30
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