Coroners are independent judicial officers in England and Wales who must follow laws which apply to Coroners and Inquests. Coroners are usually lawyers but may be doctors. They are appointed and paid by the Local Authority.
Some deaths have to be reported to the Coroner before they may be registered and before the document allowing the funeral to go ahead can be issued. The following are the deaths that, if not already reported to the coroner by someone else, will be reported by the registrar:
- where there is no doctor who can issue a medical certificate of cause of death, or
- where the deceased was not seen by the doctor issuing the medical certificate after death nor within 14 days before death, or
- where the cause of death is unknown, or
- where the cause of death is believed to be unnatural or suspicious, or
- where the death occurred during an operation or before recovery from an anaesthetic, or
- where the death is due to industrial disease or industrial poisoning
Once a death has been reported to the coroner, the registrar is unable to go ahead with the registration until the coroner has decided whether any further investigation into the death is necessary. In the vast majority of cases no further investigation is necessary and the registration may be completed straightaway.
The Coroner’s Officers
The Coroner’s Officers for Torbay and South Devon are in Torquay and are contactable at:
Torbay Hospital
Lawes Bridge
Torquay
TQ2 7AA
Lawes Bridge
Torquay
TQ2 7AA
Tel: 01803 655255 or 655205
Office Hours: 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday
Out of Office Hours: Please contact Devon and Cornwall Police - 08452 777444
Out of Office Hours: Please contact Devon and Cornwall Police - 08452 777444
Related Documents
All documents open in a new window. Need more help with documents? View the Document Help page.
-
Torbay & South Devon's Coroner
Information about Torbay & South Devon's Coroner including basic contact details of people involved in death certification and investigation.
Last updated: 05/06/2013, 4:46pm (55 KB) -
Someone Has Died
Information on why the Coroner may be involved following a persons death.
Last updated: 05/06/2013, 4:48pm (27 KB) -
Post Mortem
Information regarding post mortem examinations.
Last updated: 17/04/2012, 11:38am (31 KB) -
Torbay & South Devon's Coroner Service Charter
Details of what standards of performance are to be expected in the Coroner service, and what to do if something goes wrong.
Last updated: 23/04/2008, 10:21am (40 KB) -
Working with the Torbay & South Devon Coroner
A guide for Medical Practitioners It is likely to be of assistance to others dealing with the bereaved in understanding the Coroner's role in dealing with sudden and unexpected deaths.
Last updated: 05/06/2013, 4:45pm (142 KB)
Related Websites
Contact
- Email: h.m.coroner@torbay.gov.uk
- Tel: 01803 380705
- Fax: 01803 380704
