Chief Coroner’s Guidance, Advice and Law Sheets
Guidance
The Chief Coroner provides detailed Guidance to coroners on various matters relating to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, and also occasionally on the law, following an important case. These are written to assist coroners with the law and their legal duties, and to provide commentary and advice on policy and practice.
The Chief Coroner’s Guide to the Coroners and Justice Act 2009
Guidance No.1 The use of post-mortem imaging (adults)
Guidance No.2 Location of Inquests
Guidance No.4 Recordings (updated)
Guidance No.5 Reports to Prevent Future Deaths
Guidance No 6 The Appointment of Coroners (Revised March 2020)
Guidance No.7 A Cadre of Coroners for Service Deaths
Guidance No.8 Pre-Signed Forms
Guidance No.9 Opening Inquests
Guidance No.10 Warnings to Juries
Guidance No.11 Juries in Railway Cases (Suicides and Accidents)
Guidance No.12 The Inquest Checklist
Guidance No.13 Family Court Proceedings
Guidance No.14 Mergers of Coroner Areas
Guidance No.16 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)
Guidance No.16A Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) 3 April 2017 onwards
Guidance No.17 Conclusions: Short-form and narrative
Guidance No.18 Section 1(4) Reports: Investigation Without a Body
Guidance No. 20 Key Skills for Assistant Coroners
Guidance No.21 Translators and Interpreters
Guidance No.22 Pre-Inquest Review Hearings
Chief Coroner Joint Guidance on Sudden Cardiac Death – Inherited Heart Conditions
Guidance No.25 Coroners and the media
Guidance No. 26 Organ Donation (Revised June 2023)
Guidance No. 27 Jury Irregularities
Guidance No.28 Report of Death to the Coroner: Decision Making and Expedited Decisions
Guidance No. 29 Inquests in Writing and Rule 23 Evidence
Guidance No. 30 Judge-led inquests
Guidance No. 31 Death Referrals and Medical Examiners
Guidance No. 32 Post-Mortem Examinations including Second Post-Mortem Examinations
Guidance No. 33 Suspension, Adjournment and Resumption of Investigations and Inquests
Guidance No 34 Chief Coroner’s Guidance for coroners on COVID-19
NB: Guidance Notes 35-38 have been absorbed into Guidance Note 34
Guidance No 39 Recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
Guidance No 40 Counsel to the inquest
Guidance No 41 Use of Pen Portrait material
Guidance No 42 Remote Hearings
Guidance No 43 Discontinuing an Investigation
Guidance No 45 Stillbirth, and Live Birth Following Termination of Pregnancy
Guidance No 46 Obtaining information regarding social media use
Guidance No 47: The Death Certification Reforms
Coroner Bench Book
This Bench Book (PDF) is currently under review and not all of the information contained within should be treated as current. It may not reflect current case law. A new version will be published presently.
Law Sheets
Law Sheet No.1: Unlawful killing
Law Sheet No.2: Galbraith plus
Law Sheet No.3: The Worcestershire Case
Law Sheet No.4: Hearsay Evidence
Law Sheet No.5: The Discretion of the Coroner
Treasure
Treasure: A Practical Guide for Coroners – Advice from the Chief Coroner
Memorandum of Understanding
MoU with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and National Police Chiefs’ Council (PDF)