Remote GP calls may have contributed to five deaths, says coroner – Daily Telegraph

Posted September 10th, 2021 in coronavirus, coroners, doctors, inquests, news by sally

‘Remote GP appointments may have been a contributing factor in the deaths of five people who did not see their doctor face to face, a coroner has concluded.’

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Daily Telegraph, 10th September 2021

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Coroner in Plymouth gunman case requests review of weapons licensing – The Guardian

Posted August 20th, 2021 in coroners, firearms, inquests, licensing, mental health, murder, news, offensive weapons by sally

‘The coroner overseeing the case of the Plymouth gunman, Jake Davison, who killed his mother and four other people, has asked a watchdog to examine whether changes to weapons licensing have been made since a man shot dead three women in the north of England almost 10 years ago.’

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The Guardian, 19th August 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Dove v HM Coroner for Teesside and Hartlepool [2021] EWHC 1738 (Admin) – Inquests and Inquiries Law Blog

‘In this article, Richard Ive discusses the case of Dove v HM Coroner for Teesside and Hartlepool [2021] EWHC 1738 (Admin), which raises important questions relating to Article 2 (the right to life). On 11 June 2021, the Administrative Court heard procedural arguments concerning a late application by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to join, as an interested party, a claim pursuant to the Coroners Act 1988 s.13 for a further inquest into the death of a highly vulnerable woman who took her own life shortly after all her Department of Work and Pensions (“DWP”) benefits were stopped. The Secretary of State’s application was successful, providing her with the opportunity to make submissions at the full hearing heard by the Divisional Court on 22 June 2021.’

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Inquests and Inquiries Law Blog, 29th June 2021

Source: inquestsandinquirieslawblog.com

R (Morahan) v HM Coroner for West London [2021] EWHC 1603 (Admin) – Inquests and Inquiries Law Blog

Posted June 25th, 2021 in coroners, human rights, inquests, mental health, news, suicide by tracey

‘In this article, Ed Ramsay discusses the recent case of Morahan, which deals with the issue of when the enhanced investigative duty under Article 2 of the ECHR will be automatically engaged in an inquest.’

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Inquests and Inquiries Law Blog, 22nd June 2021

Source: inquestsandinquirieslawblog.com

R (Morahan) v HM Coroner for West London [2021] EWHC 1603 (Admin) – Inquests and Inquiries Law Blog

Posted June 24th, 2021 in coroners, human rights, inquests, mental health, news by sally

‘In this article, Ed Ramsay discusses the recent case of Morahan, which deals with the issue of when the enhanced investigative duty under Article 2 of the ECHR will be automatically engaged in an inquest.’

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Inquests and Inquiries Law Blog, 22nd June 2021

Source: inquestsandinquirieslawblog.com

Parents seek second inquest into baby’s hospital death – BBC News

‘The parents of a baby who died after medical errors are to push for a new inquest into his death, after they say a “cruel” inquest denied them justice.’

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BBC News, 14th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Byron burger death: No damages payout for Owen Carey’s family – BBC News

‘The family of a teenager who died after unwittingly eating food he was allergic to at a Byron Burger restaurant say they do not feel properly compensated.’

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BBC News, 6th May 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Sapphire House: ‘Anger’ over report into neglect death care home – BBC News

‘The mother of a man who died after suffering neglect said she felt “extreme distress and anger” at a critical new report into his care home.’

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BBC News, 21st April 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquests for insurers: why they are relevant – Mills & Reeve

Posted April 15th, 2021 in coroners, inquests, insurance, news by sally

‘Inquests are valuable to insurers as Neil Ward explains. They offer a unique opportunity to hear evidence on all of the key issues which are likely to arise in determining liability arising out of any claim following a death.’

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Mills & Reeve, 13th April 2021

Source: www.mills-reeve.com

Towuaghantse v GMC [2021] EWHC 681 (Admin) Coroner’s findings, independence of experts and registrant denials: this case is not one to put on the “read later” pile – 2 Hare Court

‘It is difficult to know where to start with Towuaghantse v GMC [2021] EWHC 681 (Admin). I will give you a briefest account of the facts in a moment, but potentially Mostyn J’s judgment in this case stands as authority for the following principles:
a. The factual findings of a coroner, and any narrative conclusion, are all admissible against a registrant.
b. Authors of expert reports do not have to be independent in the sense of uninvolved with the institution or any of the players in a case, they are merely subject to a Porter v McGill style test of bias or apparent bias.
c. The capacity of a registrant to remediate sincerely should be judged by reference to evidence unconnected with their denials of the factual charges, unless the fact-finding decision included findings of blatant dishonesty by the registrant (a refinement of the same judge’s recent pronouncements in GMC v Awan [2020] EWHC 1553 (Admin)).’

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2 Hare Court, 30th March 2021

Source: www.2harecourt.com

Mary Agyapong inquest: Public Covid inquiry needed as soon as ‘practicable’, coroner says – The Independent

Posted March 31st, 2021 in coronavirus, coroners, inquests, inquiries, news by tracey

‘The coroner in charge of the inquest into the death of a 28-year-old senior nurse last year has urged the government to hold an inquiry into the pandemic “as soon as practicable”. Emma Whitting made the plea at the end of the inquest at Bedfordshire and Luton Coroner’s Court, after ruling that Mary Agyeiwaa Agyapong had died of multiple organ failure and coronavirus.’

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The Independent, 30th March 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Judges will be allowed to retire at 75 – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted March 9th, 2021 in coroners, judiciary, magistrates, Ministry of Justice, news, retirement by tracey

‘Judges, magistrates and coroners will be allowed to work up until the age of 75, the government announced today. The current standard mandatory retirement age of 70 dates from 1993. The Ministry of Justice said the change seeks to address the fact that people now work later into their lives and the government did not want to lose valued members of the judiciary.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 8th March 2021

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Highways England referred to Crown Prosecution Service over smart motorway death – The Independent

‘Highways England has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider if corporate manslaughter charges are appropriate following a smart motorway death.’

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The Independent, 11th February 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rachel Johnston: Neglect contributed to woman’s teeth removal death – BBC News

‘A disabled woman whose brain was starved of oxygen after an operation to remove all her teeth would probably have survived if care home staff acted sooner, an inquest heard. Staff at Pirton Grange Care Home, near Worcester, failed to spot Rachel Johnston was developing hypoxia. A coroner concluded neglect contributed to her death just over two weeks after she was taken to hospital.’

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BBC News, 11th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The woman who live-tweets inquests – BBC News

Posted February 10th, 2021 in autism, coroners, disabled persons, inquests, internet, news by sally

‘George Julian is crowdfunding to attend coroners’ courts and live-tweet the inquests of people with learning disabilities and autism.’

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BBC News, 10th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Inquest finds mother took overdose after removal of disability benefits – The Guardian

Posted January 28th, 2021 in benefits, coroners, government departments, inquests, mental health, news, suicide by sally

‘A severely mentally ill young mother died from a deliberate overdose after the removal of her disability benefits left her destitute, trapped in a months-long state of high anxiety and haunted by suicidal thoughts, an inquest has concluded.’

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The Guardian, 27th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Reflections on Maughan: disclosure in inquests – Henderson Chambers

‘Inquests are not adversarial proceedings. However, the Supreme Court decision in Maughan (lowering the standard of proof for an inquest conclusion of ‘unlawful killing’ to the balance of probabilities) has left practitioners concerned about the ability of the coronial process to protect Interested Persons (“IPs”) from the serious reputational damage such a conclusion will inevitably cause. This article looks at one critical part of the process, namely disclosure.’

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Henderson Chambers, 19th January 2021

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

Widow leads fight over smart motorways after landmark crash inquest – The Independent

‘The widow of a motorist who died on a smart motorway is leading the fight to have them banned after a coroner concluded they pose “an ongoing risk of future deaths”.’

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The Independent, 23rd January 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Standard of Proof and the Chief Coroner’s Law Sheet No.6 – Maughan and Beyond – Parklane Plowden Chambers

‘On 13th January 2021, the new Chief Coroner, HHJ Teague QC, published Law Sheet No.6. This new guidance comes exactly two months after the Supreme Court gave judgment on 13th November 2020 in the case of R (on the application of Thomas Maughan) v. HM Senior Coroner for Oxfordshire [2020] UKSC 46 where it ruled by majority that all conclusions in coronial inquests, whether short form or narrative, are to be determined on the civil standard of proof: the balance of probabilities.’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 19th January 2021

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Guildford pub bomb police took action to keep files closed – BBC News

‘The police force investigating the Guildford pub bombs has been accused of a conflict of interest after it took legal action to keep archives closed. More than 700 files on the 1974 IRA bombs had been due to open this year but were retained by the Home Office. Inquest papers have shown Surrey Police applied for the files to stay closed.’

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BBC news, 2nd December 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk