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 will question them on their statements at the time of the death. He may also ask a member of the family to give a little background information on their relative. After each person has given their evidence, the family will be given the opportunity to question each witness. If the witness has not been asked to attend Court in person then the evidence may be read from a document. This is known as documentary evidence. At the end of the Inquest, the Coroner will sum up the evidence and give his verdict. After the case has finished, the Coroner’s Officer will explain the procedure that should be followed in order to obtain the Death Certificate