20. Entitlement to examine witnesses at a Coroner Inquest

(1)

Without prejudice to any enactment with regard to the examination of witnesses at an inquest, any person who satisfies the coroner that he is within paragraph (2) shall be entitled to examine any witness at an inquest either in person or by an authorised advocate as defined by section 119(1) of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990]:12 Provided that—
  1. the chief officer of police, unless interested otherwise than in that capacity, shall only be entitled to examine a witness by [such an advocate] ;13
  2. the coroner shall disallow any question which in his opinion is not relevant or is otherwise not a proper question.
(2) Each of the following persons shall have the rights conferred by paragraph (1 ):-

(a) a parent, child, spouse and any personal representative of the deceased;
(b) any beneficiary under a policy of insurance issued on the life of the deceased;
(c) the insurer who issued such a policy of insurance;
[d] any person whose act or omission or that of his agent or servant may in the opinion of the coroner have caused, or contributed to, the death of ! deceased;
[e] any person appointed by a trade union to which the deceased at the time oft his death belonged, if the death of the deceased may have been caused by an injury received in the course of his employment or by an industrial disease;
[f] an inspector appointed by, or a representative of, an enforcing authority, or any person appointed by a government department to attend the inquest;
(g) the chief officer of police;
[h]
any other person who, in the opinion of the coroner, is a properly interested person.

  • [ ed: my underlining e.g ?? other carers in the same situation or their representatives ?? ]
    21. Examination of witnesses

    Unless the coroner otherwise determines, a witness at an inquest shall be examined first by the coroner and, if the witness is represented at the inquest, lastly by his representative.

    22. Self-incrimination

    (1) No witness at an inquest shall be obliged to answer any question tending to incriminate himself

    (2) Where it appears to the coroner that a witness has been asked such a question, the coroner shall inform the witness that he may refuse to answer.

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