The role of the coroner

Once the death is reported to the Coroner one of three things will happen:

1. The Coroner may decide that no action is necessary and he/she will issue a form 100A to the Registrar stating this. You should check with the relevant Register Office to ensure the form has been received and make an appointment to register the death.
2. The Coroner may decide to ask a Pathologist to carry out a post-mortem examination of the deceased. When this happens there will be a delay whilst the cause of death is established, you may still speak to us regarding the funeral arrangements, however we will be unable to firmly book a day and time for the funeral. The Coroner will study the pathology report and any other information about the circumstances of the death. The Coroner may then decide to issue a form 100B to the Registrar. You should then check with the relevant Register Office that the form has been received and make an appointment to register the death.
3. After considering the pathology report and circumstance of the death the coroner may decide to hold an inquest. If the cause of death is unnatural the coroner is usually obliged to do so.

A date will be set for the inquest and this may be some weeks or even months away. During this period of waiting the death cannot be registered, although the coroner will be able to release the deceased for the funeral soon after the cause of death is known.

Where hardship would result from not being able to produce a death certificate, the Coroner can arrange to issue an interim death certificate. After the inquest, form 99 (rev) will be issued to the relevant Register Office and the death will be registered on the Coroner's information.

It is not necessary for you to attend in these cases. Once the death has been registered, death certificates can be obtained by personal or postal application. A telephone call to the Register Office will answer any questions you have about obtaining the certificates.

The main Register Office telephone numbers in Hertfordshire are:

Bishops Stortford* 01279 6513 18

Broxbourne* 01992 623578

Dacorum 01442 228600

Hatfield 01707 283910

Hertford 01992 555591

Hitchin & Stevenage 01438 316579

St.Albans 01727 816899

Watford 01923 231302

* these offices are only part time.

The Hertfordshire Coroners Office is situated at

The Old Court House

St. Albans Road East

Hatfield

Hertfordshire

ALI0 OEP

The offices are open Monday to Friday from 8.00 am until 4.30 pm. The telephone numbers are as follows:

Coroners Clerk: 01707 897411

Head of Unit: 01707 897400

Coroners Offices: 01707 897405 / 06 / 07 / 08

If a death occurs then please feel free to contact us at any time, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year. Call your local branch during office hours and use our FREEPHONE number out of hours - 0800 17 42 20.

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