Citations: (1864) 16 CBNS 612 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Cited by: Considered – Regina v East Sussex Coroner Ex parte Healy QBD 1988 The death occurred whilst diving some eight or nine miles offshore. The applicant, the deceased’s father challenged the coroner’s decision to refuse jurisdiction for an inquest. Held: The body was not, in … Continue reading Guardians of the Society of Keelman on the River Tyne v Davison: 1864
Before a coroner’s jury could reach a verdict of unlawful killing, it had to be satisfied ‘that the act or omission of a single person must amount to unlawful conduct which was a substantial cause of death’, although Rule 42 of the Coroners Rules forbids the naming of that person. It was unthinkable that a … Continue reading Regina v West London Coroner ex parte Gray: CA 1988
The death occurred whilst diving some eight or nine miles offshore. The applicant, the deceased’s father challenged the coroner’s decision to refuse jurisdiction for an inquest. Held: The body was not, in the terms of the 1926 Act, ‘in or near the area within which he had jurisdiction’. Held: The wording used ordinary words of … Continue reading Regina v East Sussex Coroner Ex parte Healy: QBD 1988
The deceased was found hanging in her prison cell. The jury returned a verdict of accidental death, not being satisfied that she was not merely making a cry for help. The family appealed a finding that the inquest had satisfied the requirement for a fuller investigation of a death in custody, there having been an … Continue reading P, Regina (on The Application of) v HM Coroner for The District of Avon: CA 18 Dec 2009
The claimant’s husband had been lost from the defendant’s ship at sea. The defendant had contracted to pay compensation unless the loss was by suicide. They so determined. The court was now asked whether that was a permissible conclusion in the circumstances: ‘This case raises two inter-linked questions of principle, one general and one particular. … Continue reading Braganza v BP Shipping Ltd: SC 18 Mar 2015
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The family appealed against an open verdict. Her son was found hanged at school. The coroner felt unable to be sure that he had committed suicide. He had been looking forward to a new job as a theatre technician. Held: There was evidence available now which had not been available at the inquest which undermined … Continue reading Parkin v HM Coroner for North Lincolnshire and Grimsby District: Admn 23 Mar 2005
Request to quash coroner’s verdict Citations: [2020] EWHC 1612 (Admin) Links: Bailii Statutes: Coroners Act 1988 13 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Coroners Updated: 09 December 2022; Ref: scu.651897
Citations: [2003] EWHC 1896 (Admin) Links: Bailii Statutes: Coroners Act 1988 13 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Coroners Updated: 06 December 2022; Ref: scu.185811
Judges: Pill LJ, Rafferty J Citations: [2010] EWHC 1165 (Admin) Links: Bailii Statutes: Coroners Act 1988 13(1)(b) Coroners Updated: 18 August 2022; Ref: scu.416118
a renewed application for permission to appeal – jurisdiction of coroner – granted. Citations: [2001] EWCA Civ 148 Links: Bailii Statutes: Coroners Act 1988 19 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Coroners Updated: 16 August 2022; Ref: scu.218028
Prisoner’s death – need for full public enquiry The deceased had been a young Asian prisoner. He was placed in a cell overnight with a prisoner known to be racist, extremely violent and mentally unstable. He was killed. The family sought an inquiry into the death. Held: There had been a police investigation and trial … Continue reading Amin, Regina (on the Application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department: HL 16 Oct 2003
Representative claims were made against the respondents, hospitals, pathologists etc with regard to the removal of organs from deceased children without the informed consent of the parents. They claimed under the tort of wrongful interference. Held: Organ removal when a post mortem had been ordered by the coroner was not tortious. In English law there … Continue reading AB and others v Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust: QBD 26 Mar 2004
The appellants were magazines and journalists who published, after committal proceedings, the name of a witness, a member of the security services, who had been referred to as Colonel B during the hearing. An order had been made for his name not to be disclosed during the hearing, but the court had had no power … Continue reading Attorney-General v Leveller Magazine Ltd: HL 1 Feb 1979
In each case a death had occurred many years earlier where the deceased had apparently died at the hands of the armed forces. The relatives now challenged the range of verdicts which could be left to a coroner’s jury.Lord Bingham said: ‘The Coroner must decide how widely the inquiry should range to elicit the facts … Continue reading Jordan v Lord Chancellor and Another (Northern Ireland): HL 28 Mar 2007
The appellant claimed he had been libelled, when he was called incompetent by the respondent in the way he dealt with finding an uncounted bundle of votes after an election. He appealed a finding of justification. The finding was based upon an interpretation of election law which, it was claimed, were themselves contentious. Held: No … Continue reading Gough v Local Sunday Newspapers (North) Ltd and Another: CA 12 Mar 2003
Judges: Lord Justice Laws And Mr Justice Coulson Citations: [2010] EWHC 1727 (Admin), [2010] Inquest LR 182 Links: Bailii Statutes: Coroners Act 1988 13 Jurisdiction: England and Wales Coroners Updated: 31 May 2022; Ref: scu.420776
The father of the deceased sought an order quashing the inquest on her death. He had recorded a verdict of suicide. She had died from acute salicylate poisoning, an aspirin overdose. The hospital was said not to have recognised her condition and not to have taken steps to prevent the result. She had left a … Continue reading In re Catherine Lucy Clegg (an Application to Quash Inquisition on Inquest): Admn 2 Dec 1996
The claimant appealed against a costs order. She had previously appealed against an order of the High Court on her application for judicial review of the inquest held by the respondent. Held: The coroner, and others in a similar position should not generally be expected to pay the costs of an appeal against an order … Continue reading Regina on the Application of Davies (No 2) v HM Deputy Coroner for Birmingham: CA 27 Feb 2004
The claimant’s son had been stabbed to death. She challenged the refusal of the coroner to continue with the inquest with a view to examining the responsibility of any of the police in having failed to protect him. Held: The question amounted to asking whether the coroner’s decision on the resumption should have been affected … Continue reading Hurst, Regina (on the Application of) v Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis v London Northern District Coroner: HL 28 Mar 2007
The deceased had committed suicide in prison. His family felt that the risk should have been known to the prison authorities, and that they had failed to guard against that risk. The coroner had requested an explanatory note from the jury. Held: The jury should indeed have been given opportunity to explain their verdict: ‘By … Continue reading Middleton, Regina (on the Application of) v Coroner for the Western District of Somerset: HL 11 Mar 2004
A prisoner had hanged himself after being left unsupervised in a single cell. He was a known suicide risk, but the Coroner directed the jury not to return a verdict which included any reference to lack of care. Held: A coroner was free not to leave a lack of care verdict to the jury where … Continue reading Regina v North Humberside and Scunthorpe Coroner ex parte Jamieson: QBD 12 Jul 1993
[2006] EWHC 2718 (Admin) Bailii Coroners Act 1988 13 England and Wales Coroners Updated: 28 December 2021; Ref: scu.245783
Domestic Offence requires Domestic Defence Each defendant sought to raise by way of defence of their otherwise criminal actions, the fact that they were attempting to prevent the commission by the government of the crime of waging an aggressive war in Iraq, and that their acts were accordingly justified in law. Held: The law on … Continue reading Regina v Jones (Margaret), Regina v Milling and others: HL 29 Mar 2006
The system under which the registered keeper of a vehicle was obliged to identify herself as the driver, and such admission was to be used subsequently as evidence against her on a charge of driving with excess alcohol, was not a breach of her right to a fair trial. The right not to give evidence … Continue reading Stott (Procurator Fiscal, Dunfermline) and Another v Brown: PC 5 Dec 2000
Exercise of Prerogative Power is Reviewable The House considered an executive decision made pursuant to powers conferred by a prerogative order. The Minister had ordered employees at GCHQ not to be members of trades unions. Held: The exercise of a prerogative power of a public nature may be, subject to constraints of national security and … Continue reading Council of Civil Service Unions v Minister for the Civil Service: HL 22 Nov 1984
The claimant had supported the grant of a visa to a woman in order to speak to members of Parliament who was de facto leader of an Iranian organsation which had in the past supported terrorism and had been proscribed in the UK, but that proscription had been cancelled by the Tribunal. Lord Carlile appealed … Continue reading Lord Carlile of Berriew QC, and Others, Regina (on The Application of) v Secretary of State for The Home Department: SC 12 Nov 2014
The claimant widow sued in negligence after the disappearance overboard of her husband from the respondent’s ship. The court had found insufficient evidence to establish the cause of death, either as to negligence as suggested by the claimant, or as to suicide as suggested by the defendant. Held: The evidence for suicide was sufficient. Longmore, … Continue reading Braganza v BP Shipping Ltd and Others: CA 22 Mar 2013
Two children died when their father jumped with them from a hotel balcony. The father had been acquitted in Crete of manslaughter after evidence of his psychiatric condition. The applicant now challenged the English coroner’s verdict of unlawful killing. Held: If the trial had been in England, a coroner could not make a finding inconsistent … Continue reading O’Connor, Regina (On the Application of) v HM Coroner for District of Avon and Another: Admn 7 May 2009
Relatives sought judicial review of the coroner’s decision not to allow a jury, and against allowance of an expert witness. The deceased had been a mental patient but had been arrested with a view to being hospitalised. He was taken first to the AandE department. From there he escaped and jumped into and drowned in … Continue reading Takoushis, Regina (on the Application of) v HM Coroner for Inner North London and others: CA 30 Nov 2005
The court discussed the function of the coroner and his inquest. Lord Lane CJ said: ‘The coroner’s task in a case such as this is a formidable one, and no one would dispute that; that is quite apart from the difficulties which inevitably arise when feelings are running high and the spectators are emotionally involved … Continue reading Regina v South London Coroner ex parte Thompson: 8 Jul 1982
The deceased prisoner had hanged himself. He had been a known suicide risk, and his brother said that the authorities being so aware, the death resulted from their lack of care. The inquest heard in full the circumstannces leading up to the death, but the Coroner directed the jury not to return a verdict which … Continue reading Regina v North Humberside and Scunthorpe Coroner ex parte Jamieson: CA 27 Apr 1994
The appellants were mothers of two servicemen who had died whilst on active service in Iraq. They appealed refusal to grant a public inquiry. There had already been coroners inquests. They said that Article 2 had been infringed. Held: The appeal was dismissed. The right to an inquiry was procedural and depended first on the … Continue reading Gentle, Regina (on the Application of) and Another v The Prime Minister and Another: HL 9 Apr 2008
Limitation on Making of Anonymity Orders A firm of solicitors sought an order for anonymity in their proceedings against the LAB, saying that being named would damage their interests irrespective of the outcome. Held: The legal professions have no special part in the law as a party to entitle a court to allow a solicitors … Continue reading Regina v Legal Aid Board ex parte Kaim Todner (a Firm of Solicitors): CA 10 Jun 1998
The court was asked whether evidence of the commission of the criminal offence of causing death by careless driving contrary to section 2B of the 1988 Act is capable of justifying a verdict of ‘unlawful killing’ at an inquest. Held: The coroner had been wrong to leave the offences of causing death by dangerous driving … Continue reading Wilkinson, Regina (on The Application of) v HM Coroner for The Greater Manchester South District: Admn 11 Oct 2012
The claimants were PRs of men who had died or were severely injured on active duty in Iraq being variously fired at by mistake by other coalition forces, or dying in vehicles attacked by roadside bombs. Appeals were heard against a finding that the . .
The deceased had gone to hospital and was diagnosed as having a kidney stone. As it was removed there was evidence of infection. She declined and was transferred to the local NHS hospital in intensive care. She died and a post-mortem identified . .
The claimant said that her husband, serving as an officer on the defendant’s ship was lost overboard as a result of the defendant’s negligence.
Held: The claim under the 1976 Act failed, but the court awarded the contractual sum claimed.
