Review of the Coroner Service - The Department of Justice and ...

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PreambleThere are perhaps few public services as poorlyunderstood or indeed as poorly appreciated as thecoroner service. Its association with what areoften tragic circumstances does not encourage thegeneral public to look behind the process ofdeath investigation of which the public inquest isan important but not the sole aspect of coronerwork.The role of the coroner has evolved overhundreds of years and its present shape andorganisation is very similar to that which existedbefore the turn of the last century. Apart fromthe Coroners Act 1962 which updated somelegislative aspects of coroner work, there hasnever been a comprehensive review of the Irishcoroner service in terms of assessing its adequacyfor societal needs.In making such an assessment for the needs ofsociety in the twenty-century, it is inevitable thatsome radical reforms are indicated and thatunattended historical evolution must now giveway to more modern organisation structures, afocussed management perspective and adedicated funding programme to achievespecified objectives in the short and long term.Piecemeal evolution and improvements under thecurrent organisational arrangements will notachieve the standards of public service which havenow become part of the legitimate expectationsof today’s society.In making a choice to develop and fund a moderncoroner system, it is critical to focus on the factthat the coroner system is a service for the living.It serves and reassures society as a whole by publicinvestigation of sudden or unexplained death. Itinforms and supports the bereaved by establishingthe cause of death – a service often critical to theprocess of mourning and adaptation especiallywhere the circumstances of the death may havebeen unusual or tragic.This Report seeks to provide a blueprint for thecoroner service for the foreseeable future andprovides specific recommendations critical toachieving specific legislative, organisational,financial and service objectives in the short,medium and long term. While the way forwardposes challenges for all those involved insupporting and delivering all aspects of theservice, coroners themselves face change andadaptation in a part time profession which hasremained relatively undisturbed for a very longperiod of time. Their desire for high standardsand their proven commitment to public servicewill, no doubt, ensure that these challenges aremet.
AcknowledgmentsThe Group wish to acknowledge the considerableassistance given to it by a wide variety of personsand organisations. The total of 82 writtensubmissions reflected a significant willingness toassist the Group in its deliberations on what was afar-ranging and complex topic. We wereparticularly grateful for the oral submissions madeto the Group by a number of families whorecounted their general experiences with thecoroner service.The workshop with coroners from England, Walesand Canada was particularly useful to the Groupand the attendance of the State Pathologist andhis Deputy on that occasion was muchappreciated.Much of the basic research material for the Groupwas provided by a specially commissionedresearch group, directed by Professor DenisCusack, from the Division of Legal Medicine,Department of Forensic Medicine, NationalUniversity of Ireland, UCD. Ms Maria Colbert,B.C.L.(NUI); LL.M.(Heidelberg); Barrister-at-law.and Ms Cliona Mc Govern, B.A.(hons) (NUI),M.A.(NUI) the research fellows on the team, madean invaluable contribution both to the coreknowledge of the Group and to our ongoingdeliberations. A selection of the material whichthey prepared is available on the Internet atwww.irlgov.ie/justiceIn the context of preparing this Report it becamevery evident that a number of people involved inthe coronial service had, over many years, carriedout their duties in a very dedicated manner. Ouracknowledgments would not, therefore, becomplete without a reference to those manycoroners who have, during their lifetime, givensuch high quality service to their community. Inthis context we would like to refer particularly tothe recent death of Dr Bartley Sheehan who,apart from his contributions to the work of theGroup, represented not only a standard ofexcellence as a coroner and a doctor but alsoepitomised the standard of care, service andcompassion which best describes the aspirationsof the coroner service of the twenty first centurywhich this Report seeks to set in motion.
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESensure that cor
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESIn order to mee
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESRECOMMENDATIONS
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESFig. B* Points
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESin the context
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESResponsibility
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESprotection to v
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ISSUES AND RESPONCEScycle of corone
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESconsidered by t
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESInquest adjourn
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESRECOMMENDATION6
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESthe system come
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESIn summary, the
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ISSUES AND RESPONCES• that the is
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESat the same lev
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ISSUES AND RESPONCES• be in a pos
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESEstablishing a
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ISSUES AND RESPONCES• preparation
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ISSUES AND RESPONCESobjectives set
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IMPLEMENTATION• The availability
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5APPENDICES91
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APPENDIX AGROUP AND SUBGROUP MEMBER
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APPENDIX BPUBLIC ADVERTISEMENT FOR
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APPENDICESIrish Association for Cou
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APPENDIX DGUIDE TO THE 1962 CORONER
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APPENDICESPart II - Sections 6 to 1
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APPENDICESSection Heading Sub-secti
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APPENDICESPart III - Sections 17 to
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Section1. Short title and commencem
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APPENDICESNumber 9 of 1962.CORONERS
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APPENDICESsection in like manner as
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APPENDICES(7) Where an appeal is ta
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APPENDICES14.-(1) No person shall b
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APPENDICESor misconduct or malpract
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APPENDICES(2) Whenever an inquest i
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APPENDICESpreserved by him under th
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APPENDICES38.-(1) A coroner may exa
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APPENDICES45.-An inquest which has
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APPENDICES51.-The power conferred b
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APPENDICES58.-(1) A coroner may, in
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APPENDIX FLIST OF OTHER RELEVANT LE
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APPENDICES(B)Mr. Thomas Francis Gre
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APPENDICES(C)Dr. Brian Farrell, Dub
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APPENDICES(D)Mr. Denis Desmond & MC
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APPENDIX HLIST OF CORONER DISTRICTS
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APPENDICESDistrict Deaths reported
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APPENDICESNotes for assistance of R
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APPENDICESA hospital pathologist wi
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APPENDICES6.11 PROTOCOLS FOR EXAMIN
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APPENDIX KDRAFT FORM FOR INCLUSION
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APPENDICESPart II To be completed a
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