A three-part BBC documentary revealing the working life of a Coroner starts tonight.
Death Unexplained follows Her Majesty’s Coroner Alison Thompson and her team investigating unexplained deaths in the busy West London jurisdiction including a suspected poisoning and a possible drugs overdose. Other episodes look into their role in mass tragedies like the New Zealand earthquake as families face a desperate wait for news.
Despite being one of the most ancient of judicial roles, the Coroner’s profession is very little understood. The twin associations of mystery and death shroud a process that allows families to come to terms with loss and helps prevent future deaths.
Documentary film-makers claim access is all, so viewers may be disappointed to learn the law prevents filming proceedings inside a Coroner’s Court. However what happens in court is merely the conclusion of a meticulous and wide-ranging investigation. The BBC crew had unprecedented access over twelve months to everyone involved in the investigations including pathologists, mortuary technicians, police and bereaved relatives.
Like many clinical negligence solicitors I frequently represent bereaved families at Inquest, particularly when a death has occurred within a healthcare context. Coroner’s teams fulfil the crucial work of helping people find answers. Coroners also use their legal powers to spur on changes in all corners of public life to avoid repeats of fatal events. This can include everything from alerting authorities to new medical conditions, to improving training in hospitals and raising awareness of dangers lurking everywhere from police custody to dental surgeries.
The series will no doubt make it clear that an inquest is about establishing facts and not blame. It is inquisitorial, not adversarial. While the evidence heard by the Coroner and her factual findings can be relevant to a subsequent claim, liability is a matter for another court.
Speaking to The Independent on the eve of the first programme Coroner Alison Thompson said she gets mistaken for one of two things. “People either think you’re Quincy [the American forensic pathologist TV character from the 1970s] or a funeral director.” I hope Death Unexplained will go some way to bringing greater understanding to this vital part of the legal process. At the very least it promises to be a fascinating watch.
The first episode of Death Unexplained is on BBC One at 10.35pm Tuesday 7th February.
By Robert Bell
