Coroner's Office for Gateshead and South Tyneside
The inquest process
An inquest must be held as part of an investigation into certain deaths.
A coroner must open an inquest into a death if they suspect that the death was due to anything other than natural causes, or happened in prison or other type of state detention.
An inquest is a public court hearing held by the coroner, to find out:
- who died
- when and where the death happened
- how the death happened
The coroner will:
- confirm the information needed to register the death
- confirm the medical cause of death
- come to a conclusion based on the evidence
An inquest cannot deal with issues of blame or criminal / civil liability. These can be addressed in other courts if necessary.
Some inquests may be dealt with in writing (i.e. without a hearing in court).
For information and the latest guidelines around remote observations by the public and the media, please read the .
Any applications must be made in writing to the Senior Coroner no later than 12noon on the day before proceedings, and must include reasons why remote access should be granted.