Coroners Bill 2007

Public bill · Government · Presented

The Coroners Bill 2007 would replace the outdated system with a single, nationally organised Coroner Service, led by a Chief Coroner and operating through regional offices. It would set clearer rules for reporting and investigating deaths, including deaths that are sudden, unexplained, accidental, suspicious, linked to medical care, or occur in custody or State care. Coroners would have stronger powers to secure evidence, order post-mortem examinations, summon witnesses and hold public inquests, while families would receive more information and, in serious cases, access to legal advice. Inquests could publish findings and recommend changes to prevent similar deaths, making the system more consistent, transparent and focused on public safety.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to amend, consolidate and extend the law relating to coroners, coroners' investigations and coroners' inquests, to provide for the establishment of a body to be known as an tSeirbhís Chróinéara or, in the English language, the Coroner Service, to define its functions, to provide for certain transitional matters including the completion of inquests commenced under the Coroners Act 1962, the transfer of certain documents preserved under the Coroners Act 1962 to the coroner service and the continuance in use of certain forms under that Act, to repeal certain enactments and provisions of enactments, to amend certain enactments and to provide for related matters

Last updated 12 April 2018