Coroners

Coroners and contact

Coroners investigate sudden, suspicious and violent deaths. Some deaths need to be reported to a coroner before:

• the death can be registered at the registration office
• the funeral to go ahead

Reporting

A death would usually be reported to the coroner by the Medical Examiners Office, doctors or the police. The coroner may choose to instruct a coroner’s officer to make initial enquiries to decide what further action should be taken.

You should be contacted within 3 working days.

A death would normally be reported to a coroner if:

• the deceased was not seen by the doctor issuing the medical certificate in the persons lifetime
• the cause of death is unknown after scrutiny by a medical examiner
• the cause of death is believed to be unnatural or suspicious
• the death occurred during an operation or before recovery from an anaesthetic
• the death was due to industrial disease or industrial poisoning
• the death occurred within custody

You are able to make representations to the coroner to ask for a death to be investigated if you have reason to believe it should be considered unusual or suspicious.

Death Certification Reforms (DCR)

The Death Certification Reforms introduced the Statutory Medical Examiner Service (ME), bringing changes to certification and documentation processes for natural deaths.

When a GP feels unable to establish a cause of death, the following process, agreed with the Lead Medical Examiners at Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals, should be followed:

• Referral to the ME: If the cause of death appears natural, without suspicious circumstances or concerns, the GP should refer the case directly to the ME’s office rather than the coroner
• Medical scrutiny: The ME will review the case, discuss with the GP, and assist in determining a cause of death where possible
• Unnatural or unconfirmed cause of death: If the ME cannot determine the cause of death after scrutiny or if it is deemed unnatural, the ME will refer the case to the coroner's office for further investigation or a post mortem

North and West Northamptonshire coroners

Our Senior Coroner is Anne Pember.

Our Assistant Coroners:

• Hassan Shah
• Jonathan Dixey
• Chris Stark
• Elizabeth Wheeler
• Sophie Lomas

Contact

To discuss an existing case please contact Northampton Coroner’s Office: 

• phone: 01604 526100
• email: [email protected]

Last updated 15 May 2025