Inquests: a practitioner's guide

As a lawyers interested in coronial law but not acting in any official capacity this is a very helpful book. It follows the process from a practionners perspective but could do with a little info pre the involvement of a coroner. It doesn't replace the need to observe coroners courts and coroners in action but as a newly appointed assistant coroner I still make use of it albeit my preferred text now is Jervis. Would recommend for practionners or interested parties (or indeed any non legal people) but NOT those intestested in becoming a coroner.

A must have for an inquest practitioner, invaluable.

Excellent practitioner's handbook which is up to date and contains useful practical tips.

Excellent book, does what it says on the can, so to speak.

The authors have exceeded themselves in making the latest edition even better than its predecessor. In practical terms this tome remains the most useful, and usable, book in this challenging area.Dr Jonathan PuntBarrister

Great

This is a thick book of 855 pages, but it is not a big book (14 x 20.5 cm). It can be conveniently packed into a brief case but carrying it under one's arm is not because it is a rather heavy book. What is important is that it has virtually everything a practitioner ought to know before going for an inquest. It is a blend of history (historical origins of the modern inquests), academic exposition (definition of a post-mortem), and practice guidelines. The latter is the most useful part of this book. From a description of the various types of coroner's courts to the conclusion of a coroner's hearing. The authors discuss matters such as the 'short form conclusions, such as natural causes, suicide, negligence, and also the difference between 'accident' and 'natural causes'.In between, the authors have packed indispensable tips as to what a practitioner should do, from preparing for a coroner's hearing (the forensic information needed; where to get them) to discussions with other lawyers and the members of the family. It sets out what the inquest is meant to achieve, and therefore, what the lawyer himself should hope to do, and how to go about doing it in the inquest.There is a useful section on controversial deaths ( eg 'positional death'), and remedies at the inquest. There is also a section on related hearings such as public inquiries and investigations, and for UK practitioners, all the relevant statutes are conveniently set out in full in the appendix. Non-UK lawyers might still find them useful for comparison, and aspire to have a set of similarly relevant statutes handy when preparing and attending an inquest.This book is also a useful primer for the new coroner as it sets out the duties and responsibilities of the coroner, and the orders that he or she can and ought to make, and when to make them. The drawback of this book is that it can cost up to £140 (inclusive of shipping), and, published in 2014, the statutes and regulations may be a little out-of-date.

My son's (Hayden Blake Nguyen) inquest was a very traumatic experience for me. This book helped me start to understand what was happening to me and why I was feeling the way I was feeling. It made me realise I was not alone in my frustration at the injustice of the medieval and inconsistent coronial service.....The inquest process is of profound importance to many families. It can have a huge impact on the grieving process. A properly conducted inquest which exposes the truth, culminates in a finding about what went right and what went wrong, and makes recommendations for change if that is necessary, can help relatives to recover after a death. Conversely, a poorly conducted inquest can have quite the opposite effect and may cause serious and permanent damage....