What happens during an Inquest?
The Coroner, who is a lawyer, a doctor or both, will hear all the evidence that the Coroner’s Officer presents to him/her. The Coroner will call individual witnesses and question them on their statements taken at the time of the death. He/she may also ask a member of the family to give a little background information on their relative. After each witness has given their evidence, the family are given the opportunity to question them. If the witness has not been asked to attend Court in person, then the evidence may read from a document. This is known as documentary evidence. At the end of the Inquest the Coroner will give his/her verdict, which will be entered on the final Death Certificate by the Registrar.
After the Inquest has concluded, the Coroner’s Officer or CCSS volunteer will explain the procedure that should be followed in order to obtain the final Death Certificate.