Going to an inquest | Turning Point

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About attending an inquest

There are 74 coroner areas across England and Wales. The core purpose of each coroner area is the same. However, coroner areas differ in terms of the make-up of the staff team, and the location and layout of the local coroners’ courts. As this toolkit can only provide generic information, it’s important that you ask the local coroner service any specific questions that you have about how the investigation will be carried out. You can also look at the web-pages for each coroner area.

The Coroners’ Courts Support Service (CCSS) is another source of help and information. There is information on the CCSS website along with a telephone helpline that anyone can phone. At about half of coroners’ courts there is a small team of CCSS volunteers who can help when people attend an inquest.

[The volunteers] did help. They were quite supportive. They were lovely actually. I've got to be honest. The volunteers were lovely.

Wife

The volunteers were absolutely lovely. They explained the process, but they also gave us cups of tea… [asked] did we want to talk, did we not want to talk, what did we need, did we want to go for a walk. You know, just held us through the whole process.

Aunt

What is the coroner’s court like

Each coroner’s court is different. Some are in a city or town centre, while others are in more rural locations. Some are part of other buildings, such as a civic centre. Others are in purpose-built buildings, which may also house related services such as the mortuary or pathology. Long or complex inquests, including those with a jury, may be held in different locations from those used for shorter and straightforward inquests.

Each coroner’s court room is also different. Some look like a traditional courtroom, while others are in council rooms or chambers or other kinds of functional meeting rooms. This means that some coroner’s courts appear very formal while others have a much more informal atmosphere.

If you, or others attending the inquest with you, have particular accessibility or communication needs, you should talk to the coroner’s team so that these needs can be met. For example, you may want to discuss provision for disabled access, a hearing loop, or interpretating assistance.

We suggest that you ask the coroner’s team to tell you about their court so you can feel more prepared for going to the inquest. You can also look at the webpages for each coroner’s area as some tell you about their court rooms, and sometimes include some photos.

Getting to the inquest

It may be helpful to do some preparation and research before the inquest. This is so you can plan how you will get to the inquest and manage your time when at the court – taking into account things like public transport, parking and availability of refreshments and other facilities. If the inquest is going to run over several days or longer, you may also need to think about transport and accommodation.

Talking to the coroner’s team, and looking at the webpages for each coroner’s area, should provide you with much of the practical information that you will need. The coroner’s team may also write to you ahead of the inquest and give you information. If you, or others attending the inquest with you, have particular needs, then you should talk to the coroner’s team so that these needs can be met.

Some coroner’s courts have designated rooms for bereaved families, where you can sit before the hearing or during breaks, and meet with lawyers or others as needed. It is worth talking to the coroner’s team to see if there is a family room at the court you will be attending, and to discuss your use of this room.

Visiting the coroner’s court before the inquest

You may want to visit a coroner’s court before the inquest. If you live close to the court where your inquest will be held, you can ask the coroner’s team if you can see the court room before the hearing. This can help with planning how you will get to the court, and may ease some anxiety about the unknowns of the hearing.

As inquests are public hearings, you may find it helpful to observe another inquest in advance of your hearing. However, it is important to bear in mind that courts and coroners’ approaches vary, so your experience in one place may be different to your experience elsewhere.

I'm glad I went to see another inquest… I became familiar with the room. It gave me an opportunity to understand the process and formality of the process, where people were and where they stood, what was expected of them, and what the whole thing felt like.

Mother

I was still unsure what an inquest was like so I booked myself to go and sit through another inquest with that coroner in that court… For me, I didn’t want the environment and the anxiety to get too much.

Father

What happens at the inquest hearing

In most coroners’ courts, the coroner sits at the front of the room on a slightly raised platform. Bereaved people, witnesses, lawyers and others may sit facing the coroner at rows of benches. Other courtrooms, however, may have a more informal layout – for example, with most participants sitting around a table.

Some coroners ask everyone to stand up before they enter or leave the court room. Some coroners prefer to be addressed as Sir or Ma’am. Others may ask you to use their name, such as Mr or Mrs Jones.

The number of people attending the inquest will also vary. Some inquests are attended by a large number of witnesses, legal representatives and others.

As an inquest is a public hearing, anyone can attend. Therefore there may be students, journalists and members of the general public in the room.

Coroners, witnesses, lawyers and others may not use consistent language when talking about alcohol, other drug or gambling issues. This means that you may hear or read language and views that you find difficult or disagree with.

It is also possible that evidence considered at the inquest includes private or personal information about the person who died. If you are worried about this, you should talk to the coroner’s team about whether certain information might be kept private, if it is not relevant to the issues that must be addressed by the coroner. The coroner will then make the final decision about what will be heard at the inquest.

If the CCSS has volunteers at your coroner’s court, then they can provide support you on the day of the inquest.

The media

As an inquest is a public hearing, representatives from local or national media may be present. If so, the inquest is likely to be reported in various media outlets, including newspapers, radio, TV, websites and social media. In some cases, the reporting of inquests is undertaken with care and compassion, but this is not always the case.

It is usually not possible to ask for the media to be excluded from an inquest, or for the inquest not to be reported in the media. If you have legal representation they may be able to assist with liaison with the media.