What a coroner does

Police always inform a coroner when someone dies unexpectedly, violently or in suspicious circumstances. If a general practitioner (GP) or doctor is unsure what caused a person’s death, they will report it to the coroner.

The coroner may order a post mortem. They’ll also need to decide if they should hold an inquiry into the death.

A finding is a report written by the coroner about the facts of the death. The coroner might also make comments or recommendations in their finding to help prevent similar deaths in the future.

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