Two Assistant Coroners for Avon22/04/2026 23:59
Flax Bourton, North Somerset
Two Assistant Coroners for Avon
Salary – fee paid, £516 per day.
Closing date: 22 April 2026 midnight
Bristol City Council is seeking to appoint two new Assistant Coroners to support the Senior and Area Coroner across the full range of Coroner duties in order to deliver a high-quality Coroner service to the people of Avon.
Successful candidates will be required to attend a mandatory Assistant Coroner Induction training course on 1-2 December 2026 and a follow up course in June 2027 (date to be confirmed).
About the post:
Bristol City Council is looking for exceptional candidates with excellent proven organisational, management and efficiency skills, as well as experience of exercising sound judgement and communicating effectively. You will work closely with the Senior Coroner and Area Coroner to ensure the running of an efficient Coroner service that puts the bereaved at the heart of its service.
You will be required to demonstrate knowledge and experience of Coroner law and have experience in conducting investigations and an understanding of court procedure. You will also need to demonstrate the excellent communication and interpersonal skills necessary to deal with sensitive situations.
The successful candidates will be required to carry out the duties and responsibilities of a Coroner as defined in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and associated rules and regulations and as further described in various guidance issued by the Chief Coroner.
Assistant Coroners are required to sit a minimum of 20 days a year. These are fee paid positions although they are likely to involve a regular commitment, which is to be agreed between the Assistant Coroner, Senior Coroner and the local authority.
Who can apply:
The successful candidates will be a barrister or a solicitor or Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives and satisfy the judicial-appointment eligibility condition which means they will have 5 years of experience whilst holding that qualification. They will be under the age of 75 and be subject to the appointment and eligibility conditions within the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (s.23 and Schedule 3).
Statutory terms of the appointment:
Once a Coroner is appointed, they are then a Judicial Office holder until they reach the age of 75 years (compulsory retirement age) unless they choose to resign or are removed by the Lord Chief Justice or Lord Chancellor prior to their 75th birthday.
How to apply:
The candidate pack is available here: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/web/jobs Please search for Assistant Coroner.
To apply for this position, you are required to submit a CV and complete a supporting statement of up to two sides of A4/10,000 characters through the Bristol City Council careers site portal (which should also include disclosure of any convictions or disciplinary proceedings). It is important that your supporting statement fully addresses the assessment criteria detailed in bold within the job summary, role responsibilities and assessment criteria section of this document.
If you wish to have an informal discussion please contact Yvonne Dawes, Head of Statutory Registration at Bristol City Council 07900 705230. To arrange a visit, please contact Natalie Legg Inquest and Coroner Support supervisor on 01275 461920.
Notification
The vacancy for this post has been notified to the Chief Coroner and Lord Chancellor (as required by statute).