Office of the Coroner

The Coroners' Society has the following objects: -
a) the promotion of the usefulness of the office of coroner to the public;
b) the ascertainment in questions of difficulty of the duties which devolve on coroners;
c) the advancement of such amendments to the law as seem desirable;
d) the establishment and maintenance of contact with HM Government; and
e) the protection of the rights and interest of coroners

Coroners provide a local service to the community and more information can be found about the role of Coroners on the Ministry of Justice Website but see also Department for Constitutional Affairs Website

There is some useful information about attending inquests on the Coroners' Court Support Service Website - (though at this time this service, which is completely separate from the Society is only available in a few jurisdictions)

The Coroners' Society is not a regulatory body.

If you require further information please contact the Coroners' Society

The Coroners' Society of England and Wales

HM Coroner’s Court

St George’s Hall

St Georges’s Place

Liverpool

L1 1JJ

Telephone 0151 225 5060

(This number leads to a voicemail facility where messages including your name, phone number and message should be left. The messages will only be interrogated during office hours when jurisdiction duties permit - the society is run by working coroners so please be patient, as our duties to those affected by sudden and unexpected death must come first)

The President of the Society for 2012/13 is:

John S Pollard, HM Coroner for Greater Manchester (South)

The Honorary Secretary is:

André J A Rebello OBE, HM Coroner for the City of Liverpool [The Hon. Secretary has overall control of the affairs of the Society (subject to the direction of Council)]

The Society Council

The Council consists of senior officer holders, President, Senior and Junior Vice-Presidents, Hon Secretary, Treasurer, several assistant secretaries with specific delegated areas of responsibility, Past Presidents of the Society who still hold office and six elected members. Each local Coroners' Society also appoints a member of Council. The Council has three committees which operate as working groups with delegated responsibility and which report to Council for decisions.

The Office for Judicial Complaints (OJC) deals with complaints about the personal conduct of Coroners. If your complaint is about a deputy or assistant deputy coroner you can complain to the Coroner who will investigate and handle the complaint.

Examples of possible personal misconduct might be use of insulting, racist or sexist language in court, or inappropriate behaviour outside the court such as a judge using their judicial title for personal advantage or preferential treatment.

OJC cannot help you if you disagree with a Coroner’s decision or case management directions, or if you think a coroner has made a legal error. If you are unhappy with this sort of decision you should write with your concerns to the decision maker and thereafter you may need to seek legal advice.