Kings Chambers Podcast

Rachel Galloway, Assistant Coroner, talks with Nigel Poole QC about the role of the Coroner, with a focus on Inquests into deaths in a healthcare setting.  These Inquests can involve complex medical evidence, and concerns about the care given to the deceased.  How are these deaths investigated?  Who is the Coroner and how are they appointed?  What is the Coroner’s role and how is it determined which deaths are investigated and which are not?  What questions have to be answered at an Inquest?  What is an article 2 Inquest?  What conclusions may a Coroner reach?  The discussion in this episode covers issues of how evidence is gathered for an Inquest, including documentary, witness and expert evidence; who is an interested party; and when is an Inquest held with a jury.