| Fast Find | |
| Question | Why has the death been referred to the Coroner's Office? And therefore why won't you register the death? |
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| Answer | There are a number of reasons why a death might have to be referred to the Coroner. The most common reason is that there was no doctor treating the deceased during the last illness and therefore there is no doctor who is legally qualified to issue a medical certificate of the cause of death. It may be that the doctor certifying the death has not seen the deceased after death or within 14 days of the death. It may be that the death was the result of an accident, injury, self neglect, occurred during an operation or was the result of an industrial disease related to the deceased's occupation. In all these circumstances the registrar is legally obligated to report the death to the Coroner in order to properly establish the cause of death. The registrar cannot register until the Coroner has notified the registrar that he is satisfied. |
| Topic | Coroner's Office |