During an inquest
An inquest will involve listening to evidence from witnesses such as doctors or family members. Witnesses will usually be called to give their evidence in person. Sometimes witnesses will provide written evidence and they will not attend in person. This will be decided by the Coroner before the inquest.
Once evidence has been given and the Coroner and other interested people have asked questions, the Coroner will come to a conclusion.
Being a witness
The role of all witnesses at an inquest is to assist the coroner in finding out what happened. As a witness, you will not always be called to give oral evidence - sometimes a statement will suffice. The coroner can send a summons to request your attendance as a witness at the inquest. If you receive a summons, you must act on any instructions provided as soon as possible.
When the time comes to give your evidence, the Coroner will call you to the witness stand. You will need to take an oath or affirmation that you will give true evidence. You can do this on the holy book of your choice or in a non-religious way.
The Coroner will then take you through the statement that you made. Please don't worry if you don't remember exactly what you said at the time. You will have the chance to add, confirm or change anything you wish. The Coroner will then ask any questions that they have. At some inquests, there may be other people in court who are allowed to ask questions. This may include any legal representative you may have asked to assist you. Others will generally be professionals working for an organisation that had contact with your relative.
An inquest is a fact-finding inquiry; it does not deal with issues of liability or blame. This means that any questions you are asked will be straightforward and factual and will be asked in a respectful way.
In some circumstances, it is possible that if a witness answers a certain question honestly, they may incriminate themselves. This means that they may admit they have done something that is against the law. If a witness is asked this sort of question, the Coroner will advise that they do not need to answer it.
Once you have given your evidence, you will usually be free to go. Please ask the Coroner for permission before you leave as they may have extra questions.
If you are unable to attend the inquest on the date and time stated, you should contact the Coroner’s Office immediately. Failure to attend a coroner’s inquest (if you have been summonsed), could result in you being brought before the court and you may face criminal charges.