It is appropriate for a lead local authority to contact the Coroners' Society (see The Office of Coroner tab) for advice concerning the recruitment and appropriate competition procedure for the office of Coroner. It is often inappropriate to engage the retiring Coroner as technical advisor as this can give an appearance of potential bias and unfairness should candidates apply from the locality, particularly if the deputy or an assistant deputy applies. The Society, along with the Ministry of Justice, is always willing to assist in these matters.

This Society includes amongst its members all coroners, deputy and assistant deputy coroners appointed. The objects of the Society include, inter alia, the establishment and maintenance of contact with H.M. Government and the protection of the rights and interests of coroners.

2. There are approximately 110 different coroners' jurisdictions (or "districts") in England and Wales. Each coroner is expected to be available whenever required and, because of the number of cases dealt with, some 32 coroners are identified and called "whole time" coroners and are paid an annual salary regardless of their caseload. The remainder are remunerated according to the number of cases referred to them. By the very nature of their duties, coroners must be accessible to the public at all times.

3. Coroners are independent judicial officers. They are barristers, solicitors or medical practitioners of not less than five years standing (S.2 Coroners Act 1988 (“CA”)). When not engaged in their coronal duties, coroners (other than whole-time coroners) continue in their legal or medical practices. They are required to appoint a deputy and may appoint an assistant deputy to act in their stead if they are out of the district or otherwise unable to act. Deputies and assistant deputies have the same professional qualifications as the coroner.

4. A coroner is not a local government officer although the "relevant council"

(a local authority, normally, the county council):-
(a) appoints him (S.1 CA); and
(b) pays him (S.3(1) and Sch.1 CA); and
(c) is responsible for providing him with suitable premises from which his duties of office are conducted and with the necessary support, personnel and financial resources (Ss.24-27 CA).

5. Following his appointment, the coroner is not under the control of the relevant council but is independent of them. He is not capable of being dismissed or disciplined by them. However, the Coroners Act contains (at S.3) limited grounds for removal from office either by the Lord Chancellor or by the High Court. He is entitled to continue in his appointment until he attains the age of 70, and thereafter, from year to year, by mutual agreement with the relevant council.

The coroner's jurisdiction is territorial in that it is the location of the dead body which is the determining factor as to which coroner may have jurisdiction in any particular case.(Ss.5 and 11 CA) During and in the course of his appointment, a coroner will gain considerable local knowledge and expertise, the importance of which should not be ignored.

For you to become involved in coroners’ work, it is usually necessary for you, in the first instance, to find a coroner able and willing to appoint you as his/her deputy and/or assistant deputy. There are however exceptions there are coroners who were appointed without having previously held a deputy or assistant deputy appointment. This Society does not carry a register of vacant appointments to the office of coroner, which should be publicly advertised (both nationally and locally); appointments as deputy and assistant deputy are made by each coroner, the appointment then being approved by the chairman of the relevant council. Thus, regretfully at the present time approaches will need to be made to each coroner who will then be able to tell you of any vacancy or potential vacancy that s/he may have.