The Joint Committee on Justice publishes its Report on an Examination of the Operation of the Coroner’s Service.

Speaking on the Report, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy James Lawless TD said “While recognising that previous efforts to reform areas of the Coroner’s Service had resulted in some legislative reforms being implemented, including the passing of the Coroners (Amendment) Act 2019, the Committee recognised that other recommendations and proposed legislative reforms have not yet been implemented.”

Deputy Lawless said “Among the key areas identified include the structure and resourcing of the Coroner’s Service; the selection of a jury for a coroner’s inquest; and the follow-up and implementation of recommendations stemming from a coroner’s inquest.”

The Deputy added “The Committee acknowledges the importance of an efficient Coroner’s Service to society and endorses the statement heard during its public engagement that, ‘The Coroner’s Service is for the living and the dead’. While it is essential that the Service is equipped to ensure that coroners can carry out their functions effectively, it is equally important that families which take part in an inquest process feel that they are informed, supported and treated with compassion throughout this process.”

COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

Among the recommendations made by the Committee are:

1. The Committee recommends that rules should be established to inform the threshold necessary to reach a verdict in an inquest, in order to ensure consistency of approach by coroners across different jurisdictions.

2. The Committee recommends that the existence of a website and adequate information on the Coroner’s Service and its processes be promoted to the public and that adequate information on coronial processes be provided to the families involved.

3. The Committee recommends that consideration be given to link the registration of deaths with the Electoral Register and other public databases.

4. The Committee recommends that the Coroner’s Service should be restructured to establish an office of the Chief Coroner and an office of the Deputy Coroner, to steer leadership of the Service.

5. The Committee recommends that a ‘Central Coroner Service’ be established as a new statutory agency, to uphold the fundamental principles of the Coroner’s Service and assist with administrative and organisational duties. An Inspectorate should also be appointed to monitor consistency in practice.

6. The Committee recommends that a structured and formalised process for implementing jury and coroner recommendations following an inquest should be introduced, similar to English and Welsh ‘Prevention of Future Death Reports’ (PFDs).

7. The Committee recommends that a central database be established for all recommendations made by coroners.

8. The Committee recommends that a formal jury selection process be established for juries presiding at inquests.

9. The Committee recommends that the resourcing of the Coroner’s Service be re-evaluated to ensure that it receives adequate funding, for example, in terms of staffing levels.

10. The Committee recommends that consideration be given to the introduction of an accessible process to appeal the verdict of a coroner’s inquest

Read the full report here

Read more on the work done by the Justice Committee

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.