A coroner is an official responsible for investigating deaths, particularly those happening under unusual circumstances, and determining the cause of death. Depending on the jurisdiction, the coroner may adjudge the cause himself, or act as the presiding officer of a special court (a "coroner's jury"). A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its

In some countries, coroners have additional investigatory roles . For example, in the United Kingdom under the Treasure Act 1996 a coroner will determine the most likely manner in which treasure came to be in the place where it was found (whether it was lost or hidden) which will determine the legal entitlements to the treasure trove. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Treasure Act of 1996 is an Act of Parliament designed to deal with finds of Treasure in the United Kingdom. A treasure trove may broadly be defined as an amount of gold silver gemstones money jewellery or any valuable collection found hidden underground or in places such as cellars

Many jurisdictions have a coroner or their equivalent. Medical examiner is a frequent alternative title in the United States; however, unlike a coroner, a medical examiner must be a licensed pathologist. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Contents 1 Australia 2 Canada 3 England and Wales 3.1 History 3.2 Qualification 3.3 Inquest 3.4 Jurisdiction 4 Hong Kong 5 United States 5.1 Duties 6 Other jurisdictions 7 Artistic depictions 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

Australia

Coroners in Australia derive their authority and functions from the ancient English office. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. The office of coroner came to Australia in the First Fleet with Governor Arthur Phillip having the authority to act as a coroner and appoint coroners as necessary. The First Fleet is the name given to the 11 Ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Admiral Arthur Phillip RN (11 October 1738 &ndash 31 August 1814 was a British naval Admiraland colonial administrator

In all states and territories of Australia, the office of coroner continues to this day. ^{[1] [2]}

See also: Coroner's Court of New South Wales, Coroner's Court of Western Australia. The name of "Coroners Court" is the generic name given to Proceedings in which a Coroner holds an Inquest or an Inquiry in New South Wales The Coroner's Court of Western Australia is a court which has Exclusive jurisdiction over the remains of a person and the power to make findings in respect of the cause of death 5544180040

Canada

Coroners in Canada are responsible for the investigation of all unnatural, sudden and unexpected, unexplained or unattended deaths. The coroners make and offer recommendations to improve public safety and prevention of death in similar circumstances.

Coroners in Canada are under the jurisdiction of provincial ministries of public security (formerly Solicitor General) or minister of justice/attorney general.

Most coroners in Canada, like in the United States are medical doctors with a few exceptions. British Columbia's former coroner Larry Campbell was not a medical doctor.

England and Wales

In England and Wales a coroner is a judicial officer appointed and paid for by the local authority. History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception Local government in the United Kingdom is arranged into four different systems with one each for England Northern Ireland Scotland and Wales The coronial system is under the control of the Ministry of Justice, which is headed by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice. The Ministry of Justice has been a department of the government of the United Kingdom since 2007 The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom. ^[3]

History

The post of coroner is ancient, dating from approximately the 11th century, shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland

The office of Coroner was formally established in England by Article 20 of the "Articles of Eyre" in September 1194 to "keep the pleas of the Crown" or in Latin "custos placitorum coronas" from which the word "coroner" is derived^[4]. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. This role provided a local county official whose primary duty was to protect the financial interest of the crown in criminal proceedings. The counties of the United Kingdom are a type of subnational division of historical origin by the Middle Ages they had become established as a unit of The office of coroner is, "in many instances, a necessary substitute: for if the sheriff is interested in a suit, or if he is of affinity with one of the parties to a suit, the coroner must execute and return the process of the courts of justice. SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. "^[5] This role was qualified in Chapter 24 of Magna Carta in 1215 which states: "No sheriff, constable, coroner or bailiff shall hold pleas of our Crown". Magna Carta ( Latin for Great Charter, literally " Great Paper " also called Magna Carta Libertatum ( Great Charter of Freedoms "Keeping the pleas" was an administrative task, while "holding the pleas" was a judicial one which was not assigned to the locally resident coroner but left to judges who travelled around the country holding Assize Courts. The Court of Assize, or Assizes, is a medieval term for Legal codes (such as Assizes of Jerusalem) that continues to be used in modern times The role of Custos rotulorum or keeper of the county records became an independent office which after 1836 was held by the Lord Lieutenant of each county. Custos rotulorum (pl custodes rotulorum) Latin for "keeper of the rolls" the keeper of the English county records is by virtue of that office the highest The title Lord Lieutenant is given to the British Monarch 's personal representatives in the United Kingdom, usually in a county or similar circumscription with varying

The person who found a body whose death was thought to be sudden or unnatural was required to raise the "hue and cry" and to notify the coroner. In Common law, a hue and cry ( Latin, hutesium et clamor, "a horn and shouting" was a process by which bystanders were summoned to assist

Coroners were introduced into Wales following its military conquest by Edward I of England in 1282 through the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284. Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307 popularly known as Longshanks, was a King of England who achieved historical fame by conquering large parts of Wales and almost The Statute of Rhuddlan was enacted on 3 March 1284 after the military conquest in 1282-83 of the Principality of Wales — which had been established by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd

Qualification

To become a coroner in England and Wales the applicant must be a lawyer (solicitor/barrister) or doctor of at least five years standing. History The Roman occupation of Britain was the first period in which the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit (with the exception A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law as an attorney, Counsel or Solicitor; a person A "solicitor" is a term used in many Common law jurisdictions for a lawyer who offers legal services outside of the courts A barrister is a Lawyer found in many Common law Jurisdictions that employ a split profession (as opposed to a Fused profession) in relation A physician, medical practitioner or medical doctor who practices Medicine, and is concerned with maintaining or restoring human Health This reflects the role of a coroner, to determine the cause of death of a deceased in cases where the death was sudden, unexpected, occurred abroad, was suspicious in any way or happened while the person was under the control of central authority (e. g. , in police cells). term prison cell or holding cell refers to the accommodation of a Prisoner in a Prison or Police station.

Aside from the usual coroners, certain persons are ex officio coroners in limited circumstances—for example the Lord Chancellor has been historically allowed to certify the death of someone killed in rebellion. C D E The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor is a senior and important functionary in the Government of the United Kingdom.

Inquest

The coroner's jurisdiction is limited to finding the name of the deceased and the cause of death. When the death was unexpected, violent or unnatural, the coroner will decide whether to hold a post-mortem and, if necessary, an inquest. An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy, or obduction, is a Medical procedure that consists of a thorough Examination An inquest is a judicial investigation usually by a group of court-appointed people ( Jury) in Common law Jurisdictions The most common kind of inquest The most common verdicts include: death by misadventure, accidental death, unlawful killing, lawful killing, suicide, natural causes, an open verdict or a narrative verdict. An accident is a specific identifiable unexpected unusual and unintended external event which occurs in a particular time and place without apparent or deliberate In English law unlawful killing is a verdict that can be returned by an inquest in England and Wales. The United States' concept of justifiable homicide in Criminal law stands on the dividing line between an Excuse, justification and an Exculpation In Medicine, death by natural causes is a loosely-defined term used by Coroners describing Death when the cause of death was a naturally occurring disease An inquest is a judicial investigation usually by a group of court-appointed people ( Jury) in Common law Jurisdictions The most common kind of inquest A narrative verdict is a verdict available to Coroners in England and Wales following an Inquest. The coroner's former power to name a suspect for trial upon inquisition has been abolished. This article is about the inquisitorial system for organizing court proceedings The coroner's verdict will sometimes be persuasive for the police and Crown Prosecution Service, but normally proceedings in the coroner's court are suspended until after the final outcome of any criminal case is known. The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public Prosecutions More usually, a coroner's verdict will also frequently be relied upon in civil proceedings and insurance claims. Civil law, as opposed to Criminal law, refers to that branch of Law dealing with disputes between Individuals and/or Organizations, in which Insurance, in Law and Economics, is a form of Risk management primarily used to hedge against the Risk of a contingent loss A claim is a legal action to obtain money property or the enforcement of a right against another party

"Lawful killing" includes lawful self-defence, or where a doctor lawfully administers a painkiller from which the patient dies.

Jurisdiction

Any person aware of a dead body lying in the district of a coroner has a duty to report it to the coroner; failure to do so is an offence. This can include bodies brought into England or Wales (for example, when there is a death in the military abroad the body is returned to RAF Brize Norton and so is dealt with by Oxfordshire Coroners Court). RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about 50 miles west of London, England, United Kingdom, is the largest airbase of the Royal Air Force The coroner has a team of Coroners Officers (previously often an ex-policeman but often now from a nursing or other paramedical background) who carry out the investigation on the coroner's behalf. On the basis of the investigation, the coroner decides whether an inquest is appropriate. When a person dies in the custody of the legal authorities (in police cells, or in prison), an inquest must be held. A prison, penitentiary, or correctional facility is a place in which individuals are physically confined or interned and usually deprived of a range of In England, inquests are usually heard without a jury (unless the coroner wants one). However, a case in which a person has died under the control of central authority must have a jury, as a check on the possible abuse of governmental power.

The coroner's court is a court of law, and accordingly the coroner may summon witnesses, and people found to be lying are guilty of perjury. A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under Oath or Affirmation in a

Additional powers of the coroner may include the power of subpoena and attachment, the power of arrest, the power to administer oaths, and sequester juries of six during inquests. A subpoena (səˈpiːnə is commonly defined as a written command to a person to Testify before a Court or be punished The power of arrest is a mandate given to certain members of a society by the central authority that allows them to remove a criminal or suspected criminal's liberty An oath (from Anglo-Saxon āð, also called plight) is either a Promise or a Statement of Fact calling The term sequestration can have different meanings according to the context

Coroners also have a role in treasure trove cases. A treasure trove may broadly be defined as an amount of gold silver gemstones money jewellery or any valuable collection found hidden underground or in places such as cellars This role arose from the ancient duty of the coroner as a protector of the property of The Crown. Throughout the Commonwealth realms The Crown is an abstract metonymic concept which represents the legal authority for the existence of any government It is now contained in the Treasure Act 1996. The Treasure Act of 1996 is an Act of Parliament designed to deal with finds of Treasure in the United Kingdom.

Hong Kong

The Coroner's Court is responsible to inquire into the causes and circumstances of certain deaths. The Coroner is a judicial officer who has the power to:

• grant burial orders
• grant cremation orders
• grant waivers of autopsy
• grant autopsy orders
• grant exhumation orders
• grant orders to remove dead bodies outside Hong Kong
• order police investigations of death
• order inquests to be held
• approve removal and use of body parts of the dead body
• issue certificates of fact of death

The Coroner makes orders after considering the pathologist's report.

United States

Coroners in the United States are usually county-level officers, are often elected (rather than appointed) officials, and usually do not need to hold any medical qualification. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A county of the United States is a local level of government created as a subdivision of a state by the state government or by the federal or territorial government as a subdivision As finders of fact, they retain quasi-judicial powers such as the power of subpoena, and in some states they also have the power to impanel juries of inquest, but unlike their British equivalents, they are not judicial officers, instead considered to be executive branch officials. A quasi-judicial body is an individual or organization which has powers resembling those of a Court of law or Judge and is able to remedy a situation or impose legal A subpoena (səˈpiːnə is commonly defined as a written command to a person to Testify before a Court or be punished In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State.

In some states the coroner and the sheriff are one and the same. SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. In some counties, the coroner is the only person with the power to arrest the sheriff.

Many jurisdictions have replaced the elected coroner with a Medical Examiner (often referred to by the initials "M. E. "), who must be a physician, and is most often a specialist in pathology or forensic medicine. Pathology (from Greek grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study and In some jurisdictions, a medical examiner must be both a doctor and a lawyer.

The medical examiner is most often an appointed official. This has been part of a move toward professionalizing a job increasingly involved with advanced scientific techniques. In larger cities (for instance, New York City) and more populous counties, the post may be that of "chief medical examiner", heading an office with M. The City of New York E. s and deputy M. E. s on staff to handle individual cases.

Other jurisdictions, such as Monterey County, California, have merged the legal competencies of a coroner into the office of the Sheriff, whose medical duties as coroner are then delegated to a professional forensic staff of medical examiners, technicians, and such. Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI.

Duties

Duties always include determining the cause, time, and manner of death. This uses the same investigatory skills of a police detective in most cases, because the answers are available from the circumstances, scene, and recent medical records. In many American jurisdictions any death not certified by the person's own physician must be referred to the medical examiner. If an individual dies outside of their state of residence, the coroner of the state in which the death took place issues the death certificate. Only a small percentage of deaths require an autopsy to determine the time, cause and manner of death. An autopsy, also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy, or obduction, is a Medical procedure that consists of a thorough Examination

In some states, additional functions are handled by the coroner. For example, in Louisiana, coroners are involved in determination of mental illness of living persons. The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America In Georgia, the coroner has the same powers as a county sheriff to execute arrest warrants and serve process, and in certain situations where there is no sheriff (described in Title 15, Chapter 16, Section 8 of Georgia law), they officially act as sheriff for the county. The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule SHERIFF is a telecom fraud detection and management system originally developed by BT and MCI. In Kentucky, section 72. 415 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes gives coroners and their deputies the full power and authority of peace officers. This includes the power of arrest and the authority to carry firearms.

Other jurisdictions

Other jurisdictions combine the role of coroner with that of public prosecutor such as procurators fiscal in Scotland who have a duty in certifying all deaths in Scotland. The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries with either the Common law Adversarial system, or the civil law A procurator fiscal is the Public prosecutor in Scotland, also carrying out functions broadly equivalent to the Coroner in other Legal systems Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.

Artistic depictions

Although coroners are often depicted in police dramas as a source of information for detectives, there are a number of fictional coroners who have taken particular focus on television. The police procedural is a sub-genre of the mystery story which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a Police force as they investigate Crimes The television series' Quincy, M.E., its Canadian ancestor Wojeck, and Da Vinci's Inquest each have a coroner as their title character. A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U Quincy ME (or simply Quincy) is the name of a United States Television series from Universal Studios that aired from October Da Vinci's Inquest is a Canadian dramatic television series that aired on CBC Television from 1998 to 2005 In addition, the coroner is a significant character on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and the lead character in Crossing Jordan is a Medical Examiner. CSI Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama Television series that trails the investigations of a team of Las Vegas Crossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that aired on NBC from September 24 2001 to May 16

Dr. G: Medical Examiner is a reality television show shown on the Discovery Health Channel that shows dramatic reenactments of autopsies performed by real-life medical examiner Dr. Dr G Medical Examiner is a Reality television series shown on the Discovery Health Channel. Discovery Health Channel (or DHC launched on August 2, 1999, is a U Jan Garavaglia. The shows also include interviews with Dr. Garavaglia, family members, and others connected with the cases she has worked on in Florida and Texas.

Patricia Cornwell is a crime novelist well known for her creation of Dr Kay Scarpetta, a Medical Examiner. Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels June 9, 1956) is a contemporary American Crime writer. Kay Scarpetta is a fictional character and protagonist in a series of crime novels written by Patricia Cornwell.

Bernard Knight, a former Home Office Pathologist and Professor of Forensic Pathology at the University of Wales College of Medicine is well known for his Crowner (Coroner) John Mysteries series set in 12th century Devon. Professor Bernard Knight, CBE, (born 1931 became a Home Office pathologist in 1965 and was appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology, University The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for security and order Pathology (from Greek grc πάθος pathos, "fate harm" and grc -λογία -logia) is the study and Forensic pathology is a branch of Pathology concerned with determining the Cause of death by examination of a cadaver The University of Wales College of Medicine was a medical school based in the University Hospital of Wales Cardiff, that formed a part of the University of Wales. The Crowner John Mysteries are a series of novels by Bernard Knight following the fictional life of one Sir John de Wolfe a former Crusading Knight appointed to the office of Devon is a large county in the South West of England. The county is also referred to as Devonshire, but that is an entirely unofficial name

See also

• Coroner's jury
• Forensic pathology

References

External links

• Dr. G Medical Examiner: Working With The Dead
• History of the Medieval English Coroner System by Prof. Bernard Knight

Professor Bernard Knight, CBE, (born 1931 became a Home Office pathologist in 1965 and was appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology, University

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