Coroner - Definition - Law Dictionary Home Dictionary Definition coroner

Definition :

Coroner. A very ancient officer at the Common Law, so called because he has principally to do with pleas of the Crown, appointed in boroughs by the Borough Council under ss. 171-174 of the (English) Municipal Corporations Act, 1882, and in counties by the County Council, under s. 5 of the (English) Local Government Act, 1888, prior to which Act county coroners were elected by the freeholders in each county.

An early definition of his duties was provided by the statute 'De Officio Coronatoris,' 4 Edw. 1, repealed by the consolidating (English) Coroners Act, 1887, which codifies the law as follows:--

Where a coroner is informed that the dead body of a person is lying within his jurisdiction, and there is reasonable cause to suspect that such person has died either a violent or an unnatural death, or has died a sudden death of which the cause is unknown, or that such person has dies in prison, or in such place or under such circumstances as to require an inquest in pursuance of any Act, the coroner, whether the cause of death arose within his jurisdiction or not, shall, as soon as practicable, issue his warrant for summoning not less than 12 nor more than 23 good and lawful men to appear before him at a specified time and place, there to inquire as jurors touching the death of such person as aforesaid.

The coroner also has jurisdiction to inquire concern-ing also has jurisdiction to inquire concerning 'treasure trove' (see that title), and acts as substitute for the sheriff when that officer is incapacitated by interest.

The law relating to coroners and their rights and duties is now regulated by the (English) Coroners (Amendment) Act, 1926 (16 & 17 Geo. 5, c. 59), and the Coroners Rules, 1927.

As to coroners' inquests on deaths from accidents in mines, see (English) Coal Mines Act, 1911, ss. 84, 102 (6); on deaths from accidents connected with petroleum spirit, see (English) Petroleum Act, 1926 (16 & 17 Geo. 5, c. 25).

A coroner is required to give a special certificate to permit cremation of a body upon which he has held an inquest, (English) Cremation Act,1902 (2 Edw.
7, c. 8).

The dead body of a person may not be removed out of England until the local coroner has been informed. See Removal of Bodies from England Regulations, 1927.

See Jervis on Coroners; Encyc. of the Laws of England, vol. iii