Despite not being a court of remedy, the inquest can be a valuable tool to provide a form of redress for bereaved families, writes David Regan
In the ever more difficult climate of personal injury litigation, the coroner's inquest may often be the only practical source of independent investigation open to the bereaved. The coroners' court
is a court of record rather than one of remedy: it is specifically prohibited from determining civil or criminal liability. But
the opportunity to examine witnesses in public and the
duty of a coroner to return a conclusion on that evidence provide a degree of public accountability and investigation free from the risk of costs and the plethora of other reasons which may prevent a civil case getting to trial.
The coronial process is inquisitorial rather tha...
