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A coroner is either the presiding officer of a special court, a medical officer, or an officer of law responsible for investigating deaths, particularly those happening under unusual circumstances. Coroner is a Swiss thrash metal band. ... Image File history File links Emblem-important. ... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ...

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 Treasure Act of 1996 is an Act of Parliament designed to deal with finds of treasure in the United Kingdom. ... A treasure-trove is gold, silver, gems, money, jewellery, etc found hidden under ground or in cellar or attics, etc. ...

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.

Australia

Coroners in Australia derive their authority and functions from the ancient English office. 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 May 13, 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales. ... For other uses, see Governor (disambiguation). ... Admiral Arthur Phillip RN (11 October 1738 – 31 August 1814) was a British naval officer and 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 Coroners 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 of a person in Western Australia, a state of Australia. ...

England and Wales

In England and Wales a coroner is a judicial officer appointed and paid for by the local authority. 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. There is no single system of local government in the United Kingdom. ... The Ministry of Justice is a department of the government of the United Kingdom, reorganized from the former Department for Constitutional Affairs. ... The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and prior to the Union the Chancellor of England and the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom, and its predecessor states. ...

History

The post of coroner is ancient, dating from approximately the 11th century, shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... The Bayeux Tapestry depicts the Battle of Hastings and the events leading to it. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ...

The office was originally created to provide a local official whose primary duty was to protect the financial interest of the crown in criminal proceedings. The coroner was referred to as the "keeper of the king's pleas". Anyone 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. At common law, a hue and cry (Latin, hutesium et clamor) was a process by which bypassers were summoned to assist in the apprehension of a criminal who had been witnessed in the act of committing a felony. ...

However, in its current form it dates from the 19th century, and due to widespread dissatisfaction with the legal framework under which coroners operate, it looks likely that the role will be reformed again in the coming years.

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. 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). For the fish called lawyer, see Burbot. ... A solicitor is a type of lawyer in many common law jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, but not the United States (in the United States the word has a quite different meaning—see below). ... // Artists impression of an English and Irish barrister A barrister is a lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions which employ a split profession (as opposed to a fused profession) in relation to legal representation. ... A prison Cell A prison cell or detention cell refers to the accommodation of a prisoner in a prison or jail. ...

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. This page includes English translations of several Latin phrases and abbreviations such as . ... The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and prior to the Union the Chancellor of England and the Lord Chancellor of Scotland, is a senior and important functionary in the government of the United Kingdom, and its predecessor states. ...

Inquest

The coroner's jurisdiction is now limited to finding the name of the deceased, and the cause of death. When the deceased died an unexpected, violent or unnatural death, the coroner will decide whether to hold a post-mortem and if necessary an inquest. If he or she decides to do so, the most common verdicts which he or she may return include: death by misadventure, accidental death, unlawful killing, lawful killing, suicide, natural causes, an open verdict or a narrative verdict. The coroner's former power to name a suspect for trial upon inquisition has been abolished. 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. More usually, a coroner's verdict will also frequently be relied upon in civil proceedings and insurance claims. The term post mortem means after death. It is also short for postmortem examination, or autopsy. ... An inquest is a formal process of state investigation. ... A railing accidentally collapses at a college football game, spilling fans onto the sidelines An accident is something going wrong unexpectedly. ... Unlawful killing is a verdict which can be returned by an inquest in the United Kingdom. ... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... Dope Hiphop crew out of Sydney Australia. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... This article is about the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Crown Prosecution Service, or CPS, is a non-ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for public prosecutions of people charged with criminal offences in England and Wales. ... In the common law, civil law refers to the area of law governing relations between private individuals. ... Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion. ...

"Lawful killing" includes lawful self-defence, or where a doctor lawfully administers a painkiller from which the patient dies. An analgesic (colloquially known as a painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain (achieve analgesia). ...

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). The coroner has a team of Coroners Officers (previously often an ex-policeman but often now from a nursing or other paramedical background) who will carry out the investigation on his or her behalf and on the basis of that the coroner will decide 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. 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. RAF Brize Norton is a Royal Air Force station in Oxfordshire about 50 miles west of London, England, United Kingdom. ...

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. This article is about courts of law. ... Perjury is the act of lying or making verifiably false statements on a material matter under oath or affirmation in a court of law or in any of various sworn statements in writing. ...

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. The exact powers of coroners are determined by state statute laws in the United States. A subpoena is a command to appear at a certain time and place to give testimony upon a certain matter. ... Look up Attachment in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 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 criminals liberty. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Sequestration, the act of removing, separating or seizing anything from the possession of its owner, particularly in law, of the taking possession of property under process of law for the benefit of creditors or the state. ...

Coroners also have a role in Treasure Trove cases. This role arose from the ancient duty of the coroner as a protector of the property of The Crown. It is now contained in the Treasure Act 1996. A treasure-trove is gold, silver, gems, money, jewellery, etc found hidden under ground or in cellar or attics, etc. ... This article refers to the Commonwealths concept of the monarchys legal authority. ... 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

An elected Coroner receives endorsements at reelection time.

Coroners in the United States are usually county-level officers. 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. St. ... St. ... United States of America, showing states, divided into counties. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A subpoena is a command to appear at a certain time and place to give testimony upon a certain matter. ... The executive is the branch of a government charged with implementing, or executing, the law and running the day-to-day affairs of the government or state. ...

The laws governing the selection of coroners vary by state; whether the post requires a medical degree or an election depends.

Furthermore, American coroners are almost always officials of the state government or of the local county government; the Federal government rarely handles medical examinations.

In some states the coroner and the sheriff are one in the same. Look up Sheriff in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Medical Examiners

Many jurisdictions have replaced the elected coroner with a Medical Examiner (often referred to by the initials "M.E."), who in some jurisdictions (not all) must be a physician, and is most often a specialist in pathology or forensic medicine. In some jurisdictions, a medical examiner must be both a doctor and a lawyer. (The Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine only accepts trainees who already have both M.D. and J.D. degrees.) A renal cell carcinoma (chromophobe type) viewed on a hematoxylin & eosin stained slide Pathologist redirects here. ... Forensics or forensic science is the application of science to questions which are of interest to the legal system. ... Founded in 1999 as a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the Virginia Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine is a premier provider of education, training, and research. ... Doctor of Medicine (M.D. or MD, from the Latin Medicinae Doctor meaning Teacher of Medicine,) is an academic degree for medical doctors. ... “J.D.” redirects here. ...

The medical examiner is often an appointed official. This has been seen as 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 his or her own office with M.E.s and deputy M.E.s on his or her staff to handle individual cases. New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ...

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 California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. ... Look up Sheriff in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Duties

Duties always include determining the time, cause, 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 his or her 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. Post-mortem, postmortem and post mortem redirect here. ...

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. 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. 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. This article is about the U.S. State. ... Look up Sheriff in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

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. In countries adopting the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system, the prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution. ... The procurator fiscal is the local public prosecutor in Scotland. ... This article is about the country. ... This article is about the country. ...

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 television series' Quincy, M.E., its Canadian ancestor Wojeck, and Da Vinci's Inquest each have a coroner as their title character. In addition, the coroner is a significant character on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and the lead character in Crossing Jordan is a Medical Examiner. The police procedural is a sub-genre of the mystery story which attempts to accurately depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. ... Gumshoe redirects here. ... A television program (US), television programme (UK) or simply television show is a segment of programming in television broadcasting. ... Quincy, M.E. (or simply Quincy) is the name of a United States television series that aired from October 3, 1976, to May 11, 1983, on NBC (and can be seen in the UK on ITV3 and intermittently on the ITV Network, as well as in syndication on MeTV in... Wojeck was a Canadian dramatic television series, which aired on the CBC from 1966 to 1968. ... Da Vincis Inquest is a Canadian dramatic television series, which aired on the CBC from 1998 to 2005. ... CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is a popular Alliance Atlantis/CBS police procedural television series, running since October 2000, about a team of forensic scientists. ... Crossing Jordan is an American television crime/drama series that aired on NBC. It stars Jill Hennessy as the crime-solving medical examiner, Jordan Cavanaugh. ...

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. 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. Discovery Health Channel (or DHC), launched on August 2, 1999, is a U.S. cable television network dedicated to programming that highlights various aspects of health and wellness (and unwellness as well). ...

Patricia Cornwell is a crime novelist well known for her creation of Dr Kay Scarpetta, a Medical Examiner. Patricia Cornwell (born Patricia Carroll Daniels on June 9, 1956) is a contemporary American author. ... 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, became a Home Office Pathologist in 1965 and was appointed Professor of Forensic Pathology, University of Wales College of Medicine, in 1980. ... The modern concept of Small Office and Home Office or SoHo , or Small or Home Office deals with the category of business which can be from 1 to 10 workers. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... University of Wales College of medicine is re-united with Cardiff University in 2004 forming the Cardiff University School of Medicine. ... The Crowner John Mysteries are a series of books by Bernard Knight following the fictional life of one Sir John de Wolfe, a former Crusading Knight appointed to the office of Keeper of the Pleas of the Kings Crown (custos placitorum coronas) i. ... Part of the seafront of Torquay, south Devon, at high tide Devon is a large county in South West England, bordered by Cornwall to the west, and Dorset and Somerset to the east. ...

See also

• Coroner's jury
• Forensic pathology

A Coroners Jury is a body convened to assist a coroner in an inquest, that is, in determining the identity of a deceased person and the cause of death. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

References

External links

• History of the Medieval English Coroner System by Prof. Bernard Knight