The court heard an application by the police to restrain a question being put to an inquest jury. Two people had died after a police car had sought to persuade a driver to stop. He was thought to be at risk of committing suicide. The coroner sought to ask the jury whether any defect had been shown in the Police procedures.
Held: The question was not to be asked. This was an exceptional case allowing such an intervention, and, inter alia, ‘the jury would otherwise be asked to make findings that could have a substantial negative impact on PC Bickford in particular when, on the information available to me, he has had no proper opportunity to deal in evidence with the criticisms that would inevitably arise if the jury were to answer question 9 affirmatively. ‘
References: [2013] EWHC 3729 (Admin)
Links: Bailii
Judges: Stuart-Smith J
Statutes: Coroners and Justice Act 2009 5
Jurisdiction: England and Wales
Last Update: 23 September 2020; Ref: scu.518477
