Navigating an inquest as an interested party
If you are an interested party in an inquest, or think you may be, it is important to seek legal advice from an experienced law firm that understands the inquest process.
Our team includes experts in criminal law and criminal court proceedings, as well as civil matters.
For expert advice and representation during an inquest, please get in touch with our team today to find out how we can help.
Why seek legal advice?
An inquest is an investigation into a person’s death which seeks to answer four questions:
- Who was the deceased?
- Where did they die?
- When did they die?
- How did they die?
Inquests may take place whenever there is some doubt as to any of the above. They are frequently instigated due to uncertainty over the circumstances of a person’s death.
If you’re a potential or identified interested party at an inquest, you should seek early, expert legal advice to mitigate the impact of your involvement and guide you through the process.
Understanding interested parties
Parties involved in an inquest can be split into two categories – witnesses and interested parties.
Witnesses are persons who are able to give useful evidence to assist the coroner in coming to a verdict but are not necessarily interested parties.
Interested parties, on the other hand, are any person (whether an individual, company, organisation or otherwise) that is deemed to have an interest in the proceedings.
The families of the deceased are always interested parties, but interested parties might also include, for example, the relevant ambulance service, the relevant hospital trust, in the case of accidents at work, employers, and often the police, the health and safety executive or any individual person or company that had some involvement in the death of the deceased.
Interested parties may find themselves the subject of scrutiny and potential criticism or questioning at an inquest.
Our team can support you through the inquest process with advice and representation, as well as enabling the examination of witnesses and other interested parties.
How can Palmers help?
Our senior solicitors deliver bespoke advice for every client, aiming to achieve the best outcome for you.
Led by Director, Jeremy Sirrell, our team delivers specialist, impartial advice and representation, when you need it most. Jeremy’s established criminal law practice also provides him with valuable insight into the proceedings that may come after an inquest.
If you are an interested party for an upcoming inquest, or think that you might be, please get in touch with us to find out how we can help you through the process.
