Reasons for reporting include sudden and unexplained death, unknown cause of death, no medical certificate available, or the doctor who signed the certificate didn’t see the deceased within 14 days before or after their death.
Step 1 of the Coroner’s Process:
The coroner determines if a post-mortem examination is needed to establish the cause of death.
If the cause of death is clear and no post-mortem is required, a medical certificate is issued, allowing the funeral to take place.
If a post-mortem is needed, it will be conducted either in a hospital or mortuary.
Step 2 of the Coroner’s Process:
After the post-mortem examination, the coroner decides whether to hold an inquest.
An inquest is held if the cause of death is still unknown, if the death may have been violent or unnatural, or if it occurred while the person was in prison or police custody.
Step 3 of the Coroner’s Process:
If an inquest is necessary, it will be opened soon after the death.
Witnesses are selected to give evidence, and certain relatives and representatives can question them.
The death cannot be registered until after the inquest, but an interim death certificate can be provided for practical purposes.
Conclusion of the inquest:
The coroner reaches a conclusion regarding how, when, and where the death occurred.
A legal statement is prepared, confirming the details of the investigation.
Funeral arrangements:
If no further investigations are needed, the funeral can take place once the medical certificate is issued.
If there are delays due to post-mortem or inquest proceedings, the funeral will be scheduled after these processes are completed.