Chief Coroner

Chief Coroner's Office,
Room C09,
Royal Courts of Justice,
Strand,
London,
WC2A 2LL.

http://www.judiciary.gov.uk/related-offices-and-bodies/office-chief-coroner/

Email: [email protected]

The Chief Coroner, an office created by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, is head of the coroner system, providing national leadership for coroners in England and Wales.

The appointment of the Chief Coroner is made by the Lord Chief Justice in consultation with the Lord Chancellor. On the 22 December 2020 the Lord Chief Justice, after consultation with the Lord Chancellor, appointed His Honour Judge Edward Thomas Teague KC as the third Chief Coroner of England and Wales. 

Judge Teague KC takes over from the second Chief Coroner His Honour Judge Mark Lucraft KC who has served as Chief Coroner since 1 October 2016. Judge Lucraft KC had taken over from the first Chief Coroner, His Honour Sir Peter Thornton KC. 

Following the election by the Court of Aldermen of the City of London, in April 2020 Her Majesty The Queen appointed Judge Lucraft KC, as Recorder of London, the lead judge at the Central Criminal Court and the most senior Circuit Judge in England and Wales.   Judge Lucraft KC has discharged the roles of Recorder of London and Chief Coroner until the appointment of Judge Teague KC as Chief Coroner.  Judge Lucraft KC remains as the Recorder of London.

Her Majesty The Queen appointed Edward Thomas Henry Teague KC a Circuit Judge. The Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer assigned him to the Wales and Chester Circuit, based at Chester Crown Court with effect from Thursday 13 July 2006.   He was called to the Bar (I) in 1977 and took Silk in 2000. He was authorised to sit as an Assistant Recorder in 1993 and appointed as a Recorder in 1997. He sits as a Circuit Judge at Liverpool Crown Court.   In 2015 he was appointed as an assistant coroner in Cheshire to undertake an inquest into the death of Anthony Grainger, he continued as judge coroner until he was appointed on 17 March 2016 by the Home Secretary as Chairman of the Public Inquiry into the circumstances of Anthony Grainger's death. His report pursuant to section 26 Inquiries Act 2005 was ordered to be printed by the House of Commons on 11 July 2019.