Coroners look into the causes of all sudden or unexpected deaths reported to them. They are responsible for finding the medical cause of sudden or unforeseen deaths, and enquiring into the causes of violent, unnatural or suspicious deaths.

Coroners:

• investigate the circumstances of all sudden or unnatural deaths reported to them (usually by the police or by a doctor who attended the death)
• look into all the available information to determine the cause of death – in many cases they decide that the death was due to natural causes after discussing it with the deceased’s doctor
• decide whether to order a post-mortem examination if there are questions around the cause of death
• hold an inquest if the post-mortem shows the death was not natural – an inquest is for finding out the facts about the death, not for judging who was to blame
• notify the Registrar of Deaths about the death or the results of the inquest
• make sure that all procedures and records follow the law
• appoint deputy and assistant coroners.

Coroners are usually qualified lawyers, although they may sometimes be doctors. They are independent judicial officers, which means that nobody can tell them or direct them what to do, but they must follow the law. In Scotland, the coroner's role is carried out by the Procurator Fiscal (see the Procurator Fiscal profile).

They are assisted by a deputy and assistant deputy coroner, and also coroners’ officers, who receive reports of deaths and make enquiries for the coroner. Coroners’ officers are sometimes police officers who carry out the role on a part-time basis.

Hours and Environment

Full-time coroners and their deputies work basic hours of 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. However, they need to be available at all times, so they also operate an on-call rota.

At the moment most coroners work part-time, and spend the rest of their time working in private legal practice.

Coroners travel around the area they cover, between scenes of crime, courts and hospitals. A driving licence is essential.

Coroners usually retire at 70.

Skills and Interests

To work as a coroner you should:

• have a sound knowledge of the law
• be able to deal sensitively with distressing situations
• think logically and use good judgement
• pay attention to detail and keep accurate records
• be able to work to set procedures
• have excellent communication skills and be able to explain legal and medical terms to people who may have little or no knowledge
• work well with a wide range of people such as police officers, witnesses and the media.

Entry

Current situation:
To become a coroner, you must be a qualified barrister, solicitor or doctor with at least five years’ post-qualifying experience. A few coroners have qualifications in both. Please see the Barrister, Solicitor and Doctor profiles for further details of entry to these professions.

You will start as a deputy or assistant deputy coroner - you must first find a coroner to appoint you as his or her deputy or assistant.

Planned changes:
The Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA) is reforming the coroner service, including the recruitment and training of coroners. In the near future, the coroner service will be made up of full-time coroners, and all new coroners will need to be qualified lawyers. Please see the DCA website for more details of the reforms. 

Training

Training is provided by the Coroners Division of the Department for Constitutional Affairs. You would normally start at deputy or assistant level and be trained in court proceedings and relevant administration.

You will also need ongoing training to keep up to date with changes in law, medical procedures and administrative practices.

The ongoing reform of the coroner service is likely to lead to a national programme of training and standards for coroners and other staff in the service.

Opportunities

There are about 140 coroners in England and Wales, one for each district. Coroners are employed by local council authorities and are accountable to the Lord Chancellor.

Appointments of deputy and assistant deputy coroners are made by the individual coroner they will be working for.

Vacancies are usually advertised locally. For details of your nearest coroner's office, see the Coroners’ Society website (see Further Information) or local telephone directories, or contact your local police force or Citizen's Advice Bureau.

The DCA reforms to the coroner service mean that there are likely to be 60 to 65 larger districts in the future, each with one full-time coroner and a pool of assistant coroners.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

The salary is linked to the population of the area served. Extra payments can be made for additional duties such as an exceptionally high case load.

Full-time coroners are usually paid between £55,000 and £68,000 a year, depending on the size of the area they are responsible for.
Coroners working part-time, and deputy coroners, are paid in proportion to the number of cases they take on.

Further information

5th Floor
Steel House
11 Tothill Street
London
SW1H 9LH
Tel: 020 7210 0049 HM Coroner's Court
The Cotton Exchange
Old Hall Street
Liverpool
L3 9UF