Inquest

[katie20202]

Hi I'm going to be attending an inquest soon and I'm a little scared as I don't know what to expect I've spoke to the coroners assistant but any advice will be much appreciated, thank you in advance x

Are you attending as a witness?

I'm attending as a relative of the deceased

Anyone ???

I went to an inquest as a witness. It was much less formal than I anticipated and there was just me, a relative and the coroner. The coroner had a report and he asked me questions. My relative was able to ask a couple of questions as well and ask for clarification- I don’t know if it would have been more formal if there had been more people present. It helped draw a line under the events.

I hope it goes well for you and try not to worry

They vary a little depending on the Coroner. Some are more formal. The witnesses give evidence and are asked questions. The coroner may seek expert opinions from independent experts. It can be hard listening to the detail, particularly if it was a traumatic death but the coroners staff make it as gentle as possible for the family. There is usually a coroners officer allocated to support the family and answer questions. It can be quite a long day or several days but there are breaks. If the coroner feels the hospital or other organisation didn’t do things properly then they issue a formal letter requiring action. .