Chief Coroner reports dramatic reduction in delays in coroner cases

There has been a substantial reduction in delays in coroner cases in the past year, the Chief Coroner has reported.

HHJ Peter Thornton QC said the number of inquest cases which had not been completed within 12 months from the date of the death being reported to the coroner had fallen by 45%.

There were 1,467 cases over 12 months and not yet completed (or discontinued) in 2014/15, compared to 2,673 for 2013/14.

The figure for 2014-2015 amounted to less than 1% of all deaths referred to coroners in England and Wales.

The Chief Coroner added that 70% of all coroner areas in England and Wales had recorded a decrease in the number of outstanding cases over 12 months from the previous year.

Around 80% of 97 coroner areas in England and Wales now have 20 or fewer cases outstanding over 12 months.

HHJ Peter Thornton QC said: “Coroners have responded well to requests to review and complete older cases. Backlogs in many coroner areas have been dramatically reduced. This is good news for bereaved families. Each case should be given special care and attention so that it is completed within a fair timescale. This requires keen case management and the effective deployment of local resources. With further work I believe this trend should continue next year as well.”

The Chief Coroner noted that there were often good reasons for older cases being outstanding, such as ongoing police inquiries, criminal prosecutions, investigations in countries overseas, and Health and Safety Executive or Prison and Probations Ombudsman inquiries.