This leaflet provides details of the Coroners Service and in particular the
Coroners Liaison
Officer designated to you and your family following your recent bereavement.
The Coroners Liaison Officer may already have been in touch with you. Their contact details are set out below.
The Coroners Liaison Officer will:
Coroners Liaison Officers are not medical personnel but people who work for the Coroner to help bereaved families when a postmortem examination has been ordered.
The death of your relative has been reported to the Coroner. There could be a number of reasons why this may have happened and you can discuss this with the Coroners Liaison Officer.
It is necessary for a death to be reported to the Coroner if it is sudden or unexpected or if the doctor has not seen and treated the patient for the cause from which they died within the previous 28 days.
When a death is reported to the Coroner you will not be able to register the death or obtain a death certificate until the Coroner’s investigation is finished. This could be after the postmortem report is received or after an inquest is held.
You will be contacted by the Registrar of Deaths once the death can be registered.
The Coroner is responsible for establishing the medical cause of a reported death. To do this the Coroner may order a postmortem examination. This is what has happened in the case of your relative.
The Coroner may also, if necessary, hold an inquest. If this happens your Liaison Officer will tell you and explain what will happen at the inquest.
The Coroner will usually decide if an inquest is necessary once the final postmortem report has been sent. This may be some time after the death.
To help you during this time a “Certificate of Evidence of Death” can be obtained from your Coroners Liaison Officer or from the staff in the Coroners Office - this is called a form 21A.
This form may help you to deal with some financial matters but you should be aware that not all financial institutions will accept this form. However, it may help in some circumstances e.g. with regard to benefits received.
Your Liaison Officer will have informed you if any organs and tissue samples were retained at the postmortem examination. They will discuss any concerns you may have regarding this.
They will also explain what will happen to these samples and what your rights and responsibilities are if the Coroner agrees to their release back to you at a later time.
Burial and cremation orders in Coroners’ cases are available from the Coroners Office. Your Funeral Director will arrange collection.
There are a number of organisations that will be able to support you during this time of bereavement. The main groups are listed below and they will have contact details for other groups that may be specific for your needs.
Cruse Bereavement Care
028 90 792419
Samaritans
08457 90 90 90
Victim Support Northern Ireland
028 9024 4039
Remember our Child
028 9079 7975
Family Trauma Centre
028 9020 4700
Citizens’ Advice Bureau
028 9023 1120
Social Security Agency – Benefit Enquiry Line
Freephone 0800 220 674
Age UK
0808 808 7575
You can contact them during office hours on the number below.
Coroners Liaison Officer:
Contact Number:
This leaflet also contains some information we hope will help you to cope with some of the practical aspects involved following your recent bereavement.
If you have other questions or need more information or help you should contact the Liaison Officer or the staff in the Coroners Office and they will do their best to help you.
The address for the Coroners Office is:
Mays Chambers
73 May Street
Belfast BT1 3JL
Tel: 028 9044 6800
Fax: 028 9044 6801
Email:
coronersoffice@courtsni.gov.uk