When the coroner has clear evidence of who the deceased is, when and where he or she died and how the death came about, the inquest can sometimes be concluded using documentary evidence only (no witnesses being called) with the key findings of fact and conclusion being summarised in writing as opposed to being read out in a public court room.
Such an inquest is known as an ‘inquest in writing’ and came into law on 28 June 2022 by the insertion of section 9C of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009.
This creates the flexibility for the coroner to review the evidence and conclude the inquest without requiring a hearing in court and without the requirement for the family or Next of Kin to attend.
The introduction of this type of inquest has come as a direct result of feedback received from bereaved families who have gone through the process.
Where cases appear to be straightforward and uncontentious, an ‘inquest in writing’ is the preferred method of conclusion to expedite the process and to avoid any further unnecessary distress to the bereaved.