The Inquest Book

Coronial Law is an area that attracts great public scrutiny, reflected in the recent establishment of the office of the Chief Coroner, and the number of Judges of the High Court and the Court of Appeal made deputy assistant coroners to particularly sensitive inquests. It is also an area of law that has changed significantly in recent years since the new Coroners and Justice Act 2009 came into force in 2013.

This book provides practitioners with an up-to-date and comprehensive guide to the law of coroners and inquests. Written by barristers practising in the field, it addresses changes to the structure and jurisprudence of coroners' courts in a straightforward, accessible manner. The book is helpfully structured according to the elements of an inquest or the subject matter of a coroner's investigation. Each chapter provides an overview of the legal issues, statutory material and other sources of guidance, followed by case summaries and extracts where the relevant issues are discussed. In addition, there are useful appendices of relevant materials, including applicable legislation and the Chief Coroner's Guidance. The book is an essential companion for practitioners of coronial law, indispensable to novices and seasoned practitioners alike.

1. Introduction
Sir Neil Garnham and Caroline Cross
Part One: Inquests-General Principles
2. Sources of Coronial Law and Guidance
Richard Mumford
3. Duty to Hold an Inquest
Rachel Marcus
4. The Role and Scope of an Inquest 9
Isabel McArdle
5. The Coroner
Marina Wheeler QC
6. Pre-Inquest Reviews
Richard Mumford
7. Article 2 Inquests
Peter Skelton QC, Caroline Cross and Kate Beattie
8. Interested Persons
David Manknell
9. Witnesses
Kate Beattie
10. Funding
Pritesh Rathod
11. The Jury
Richard Mumford
12. Evidence
Peter Skelton QC
13. Anonymity, Protective Measures and Public Interest Immunity
Matthew Hill and Sir Neil Garnham
14. The Inquest Hearing
David Manknell
15. Conclusions
Sir Neil Garnham and Kate Beattie
16. Inquest versus Public Inquiry
Isabel McArdle
Part Two: Specific Inquests
17. Medical Inquests
Isabel McArdle and Kate Beattie
18. Inquests Concerning Mental Health and Capacity
Richard Mumford and Rachel Marcus
19. Article 2 and Local Authorities
Kate Beattie
20. Deaths in Custody
Peter Skelton QC and Lois Williams
21. Police Inquests
Alasdair Henderson
22. Military Personnel and Civilians in War
Caroline Cross
23. Inquests Involving Intelligence Services and Agencies
Sir Neil Garnham
24. Deaths in the Workplace
Alasdair Henderson
Part Three: After the Inquest
25. Reports to Prevent Further Deaths
Caroline Cross and Isabel McArdle
26. Steps After the Inquest
Dame Philippa Whipple DBE

“This book is a timely and welcome addition for the benefit of those advising in connection with and appearing at inquests. It will also be of enormous benefit to coroners and their deputies. It brings together,in a straightforward and clearly explained way, the legislation and cases on most topics that are likely to be of concern, together with a helpful introduction to each. The appendices contain the core statutory materials and guidance from the Chief Coroner. Mr Justice Garnham and Caroline Cross have produced a readable and authoritative work which will soon become indispensable to those involved in inquests.” –  From the Foreword by The Rt Hon Lord Justice Burnett PC, Royal Courts of Justice, January 2016,

“The Inquest Book is a practitioner textbook in its purest form with no fluff or filler.” –  Bridget Dolan QC, UK Inquest Law Blog