Police watchdog threatened with legal action over inquiry into man’s death – The Guardian

‘The police watchdog has been threatened with legal action for refusing to investigate whether the conduct of officers who restrained a man for a significant period of time committed a criminal offence or that their behaviour amounts to misconduct.’

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The Guardian, 4th May 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Immigration removal and an Article 2 inquest – UK Human Rights Blog

‘R (Lawal) v Secretary of State for the Home Department (2021), Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), Unreported, JR/626/2020 (V).
The death of an immigration detainee, as with all prisoners, is rightly subject to legal scrutiny. This is because detainees are completely under the state’s control. Article 2 ECHR requires that the state carry out an effective investigation into all deaths in detention where there is a reasonable suspicion that the death was unnatural. A coroner is required to hold an inquest into all deaths in custody, and specifically a jury inquest where there is reason to suspect the death is violent or unnatural. In this case, a two-judge panel of the Upper Tribunal (President of the Upper Tribunal, Mr Justice Lane, and Upper Tribunal Judge Canavan) found that the respondent Home Secretary had breached her Article 2 procedural obligations in respect of deaths in immigration detention. In particular, she had failed to ensure that crucial witness evidence was secured for use at an inquest and had failed to halt the deportation of a relevant witness.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 29th April 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.com

Inquest finds neglect contributed to woman’s hospital death – The Guardian

Posted April 27th, 2021 in disabled persons, food, hospitals, inquests, learning difficulties, news by sally

‘The death of a young disabled woman following a routine eye operation was partly caused by malnutrition as a result of neglect, a coroner has ruled.’

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The Guardian, 26th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

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

Hillsborough police face trial accused of perverting course of justice – The Guardian

‘Two former South Yorkshire police officers and the force’s lawyer at the time of the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989 face trial on Monday charged with perverting the course of justice over the amendment of police statements about the tragedy.’

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The Guardian, 18th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

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

Security services and police to face questions over London Bridge attacker – The Guardian

Posted April 12th, 2021 in inquests, intelligence services, news, police, recidivists, rehabilitation, terrorism by tracey

‘The security services and police are to face questions over whether they missed the chance to stop a convicted terrorist out on licence with an electronic tag who stabbed two people to death. On Monday, the inquests open into the deaths of Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, who were killed in the November 2019 attack at Fishmongers hall, near London Bridge at a prisoner rehabilitation conference.’

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The Guardian, 12th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Vue admits health and safety charges over Star City cinema death – BBC News

Posted April 8th, 2021 in accidents, film industry, health & safety, inquests, news by sally

‘The Vue cinema chain has admitted two health and safety charges over the death of a man crushed under a motorised footrest.’

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BBC News, 7th April 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Teenage refugee killed himself in UK after mental health care failings – The Guardian

Posted April 8th, 2021 in inquests, mental health, news, refugees, suicide, young persons by sally

‘A teenage refugee killed himself after the serious nature of his mental illness was not recognised, a coroner has concluded.’

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The Guardian, 7th April 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Application for fresh inquest refused – UK Human Rights Blog

Posted April 6th, 2021 in asbestos, families, inquests, news by sally

‘Applying for a fresh inquest is not straightforward. First, the bereaved have to get permission from the Attorney General. Only once that authority has been granted will they be allowed to apply to the High Court to reopen the inquest (section 13 of the Coroners Act 1988). Often cases are reopened because new evidence has come to light or there has been insufficiency of inquiry, for example where a person is found guilty of the murder of the deceased or new scientific data is provided.[1] Further, it has to be necessary or desirable in the interests of justice that an investigation be (re)opened.’

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UK Human Rights Blog, 6th April 2021

Source: ukhumanrightsblog.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

Dawn Sturgess novichok death inquest to look at role of Russian state – The Guardian

Posted March 31st, 2021 in inquests, intelligence services, medical treatment, news, poisoning, Russia by tracey

‘The role the Russian state played in the death of a Wiltshire woman who was poisoned with the nerve agent novichok is to be investigated in detail at her inquest. Heather Hallett said she would carry out a “fearless” inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess including digging into who directed the operation to bring novichok into the UK.’

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The Guardian, 30th March 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Gosport hospital deaths: Inquiry reviews 15,000 death certificates – BBC News

Posted March 16th, 2021 in hospitals, inquests, inquiries, news by tracey

‘More than 15,000 death certificates are being examined by police investigating the deaths of patients at a hospital. An inquiry found 456 patients died after being given opiates at Gosport War Memorial Hospital between 1987 and 2001, but no charges have been brought. An independent investigation, led by Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, is reviewing millions of pages of evidence.’

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BBC News, 16th March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Errol Graham: Starved man’s family loses High Court benefits case – BBC News

‘The family of a man who starved to death after his benefits were stopped has lost a High Court challenge against the government.’

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BBC News, 3rd March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Jack Barnes: ‘I can’t breathe’ death reviewed three times – BBC News

Posted March 2nd, 2021 in inquests, news, prosecutions, restraint, unlawful killing by sally

‘No-one was prosecuted over the death of a man who was restrained in the street by public transport workers despite the case being reviewed three times.’

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BBC News, 1st March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MI6 ‘body-in-bag’: Spy Gareth Williams’ London flat death reviewed – BBC News

Posted February 23rd, 2021 in DNA, evidence, inquests, news, unlawful killing by tracey

‘The death of an MI6 agent whose naked body was found inside a locked holdall at his London flat is to be reviewed. Metropolitan Police investigators said new information about Gareth Williams, who died in 2010, had come to light.’

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BBC News, 22nd February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ep 136: Essential Inquest Law Updates – Law Pod UK

Posted February 18th, 2021 in inquests, legal profession, news, podcasts by sally

‘In Episode 136, Emma-Louise Fenelon speaks to Rachel Marcus and Jim Duffy about the developments inquest law practitioners will need to know about.’

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Law Pod UK, 17th February 2021

Source: audioboom.com

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