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- Look into deaths from unnatural or unknown causes, or those that have happened suddenly or in prison or police custody
- Requires the ability to break down events and evidence into smaller parts and explore them
- With experience, apply for the position of senior coroner, with chief coroner being the most senior position
As a Coroner you'll decide the cause of death by looking into all the available information, talk to other professionals involved like the deceased's doctor, order a post-mortem examination if there are questions around the cause of death, notify the Registrar about the death and results of any inquest held, deal with upset relatives, and write reports and recommendations to prevent future deaths.
You could work in an office, in a court or in an NHS or private hospital. Salaries for full-time coroners are based on the population size of the area they cover. You must be available at all times to carry out any duties in connection with inquests and post-mortem examinations. 24-hour cover varies from district to district, and coroners can work long hours.
Some coroners are full-time, but others work part-time and spend the rest of their time working in private legal practice.
With experience, you can apply for the position of senior coroner, with chief coroner the most senior position. You can also apply to become a course director with the Judicial College.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Decide the cause of death by looking into all the available information
- Talk to other professionals involved like the deceased's doctor
- Order a post-mortem examination if there are questions around the cause of death
- Notify the Registrar about the death and results of any inquest held
- Deal with upset relatives
- Write reports and recommendations to prevent future deaths
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You could work in an office, in a court or in an NHS or private hospital. Salaries for full-time coroners are based on the population size of the area they cover. You must be available at all times to carry out any duties in connection with inquests and post-mortem examinations. 24-hour cover varies from district to district, and coroners can work long hours.
Some coroners are full-time, but others work part-time and spend the rest of their time working in private legal practice.
You'll need
To become a Coroner you must be a qualified barrister, solicitor, or a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx), with at least 5 years' qualified experience.
Some coroners have qualifications in both law and medicine. You'll usually start as an assistant coroner.
Local authorities appoint coroners and assistant coroners, with the consent of the Chief Coroner and the Lord Chancellor.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you can apply for the position of senior coroner, with chief coroner the most senior position. You can also apply to become a course director with the Judicial College.