Category: inquests

Gosport hospital deaths: Inquiry reviews 15,000 death certificates – BBC News

Posted March 16th, 2021 in hospitals, inquests, inquiries, news by tracey

‘More than 15,000 death certificates are being examined by police investigating the deaths of patients at a hospital. An inquiry found 456 patients died after being given opiates at Gosport War Memorial Hospital between 1987 and 2001, but no charges have been brought. An independent investigation, led by Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, is reviewing millions of pages of evidence.’

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BBC News, 16th March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Errol Graham: Starved man’s family loses High Court benefits case – BBC News

Posted March 4th, 2021 in benefits, government departments, inquests, mental health, news, statutory duty by sally

‘The family of a man who starved to death after his benefits were stopped has lost a High Court challenge against the government.’

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BBC News, 3rd March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Jack Barnes: ‘I can’t breathe’ death reviewed three times – BBC News

Posted March 2nd, 2021 in inquests, news, prosecutions, restraint, unlawful killing by sally

‘No-one was prosecuted over the death of a man who was restrained in the street by public transport workers despite the case being reviewed three times.’

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BBC News, 1st March 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

MI6 ‘body-in-bag’: Spy Gareth Williams’ London flat death reviewed – BBC News

Posted February 23rd, 2021 in DNA, evidence, inquests, news, unlawful killing by tracey

‘The death of an MI6 agent whose naked body was found inside a locked holdall at his London flat is to be reviewed. Metropolitan Police investigators said new information about Gareth Williams, who died in 2010, had come to light.’

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BBC News, 22nd February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ep 136: Essential Inquest Law Updates – Law Pod UK

Posted February 18th, 2021 in inquests, legal profession, news, podcasts by sally

‘In Episode 136, Emma-Louise Fenelon speaks to Rachel Marcus and Jim Duffy about the developments inquest law practitioners will need to know about.’

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Law Pod UK, 17th February 2021

Source: audioboom.com

Highways England referred to Crown Prosecution Service over smart motorway death – The Independent

Posted February 12th, 2021 in accidents, coroners, corporate manslaughter, Crown Prosecution Service, inquests, news, road safety, roads by tracey

‘Highways England has been referred to the Crown Prosecution Service to consider if corporate manslaughter charges are appropriate following a smart motorway death.’

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The Independent, 11th February 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Rachel Johnston: Neglect contributed to woman’s teeth removal death – BBC News

Posted February 12th, 2021 in care homes, causing death of children or vulnerable adults, coroners, dentists, disabled persons, inquests, medical treatment, negligence, news, professional conduct by tracey

‘A disabled woman whose brain was starved of oxygen after an operation to remove all her teeth would probably have survived if care home staff acted sooner, an inquest heard. Staff at Pirton Grange Care Home, near Worcester, failed to spot Rachel Johnston was developing hypoxia. A coroner concluded neglect contributed to her death just over two weeks after she was taken to hospital.’

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BBC News, 11th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

The woman who live-tweets inquests – BBC News

Posted February 10th, 2021 in autism, coroners, disabled persons, inquests, internet, news by sally

‘George Julian is crowdfunding to attend coroners’ courts and live-tweet the inquests of people with learning disabilities and autism.’

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BBC News, 10th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Gosport hospital deaths: Families ‘need Hillsborough-style inquests’ – BBC News

Posted February 5th, 2021 in benefits, bereavement, families, hospitals, inquests, inquiries, medical treatment, medicines, news, unlawful killing by sally

‘Relatives of patients who died after receiving “dangerous” levels of painkillers at Gosport War Memorial Hospital have called for new inquests.’

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BBC News, 5th February 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Family wins lawsuit against NHS trust over woman’s decomposed body – The Guardian

Posted February 1st, 2021 in bereavement, compensation, damages, families, hospitals, human rights, inquests, news, unlawful killing by tracey

‘The family of a woman whom they suspect was killed has won a lawsuit against a health trust that allowed her body to decompose to the point that experts were unable to rule out third-party involvement in the death in a first-of-its kind ruling.’

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The Independent, 29th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Inquest finds mother took overdose after removal of disability benefits – The Guardian

Posted January 28th, 2021 in benefits, coroners, government departments, inquests, mental health, news, suicide by sally

‘A severely mentally ill young mother died from a deliberate overdose after the removal of her disability benefits left her destitute, trapped in a months-long state of high anxiety and haunted by suicidal thoughts, an inquest has concluded.’

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The Guardian, 27th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Reflections on Maughan: disclosure in inquests – Henderson Chambers

Posted January 28th, 2021 in appeals, chambers articles, coroners, disclosure, inquests, news, standard of proof, Supreme Court, unlawful killing by sally

‘Inquests are not adversarial proceedings. However, the Supreme Court decision in Maughan (lowering the standard of proof for an inquest conclusion of ‘unlawful killing’ to the balance of probabilities) has left practitioners concerned about the ability of the coronial process to protect Interested Persons (“IPs”) from the serious reputational damage such a conclusion will inevitably cause. This article looks at one critical part of the process, namely disclosure.’

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Henderson Chambers, 19th January 2021

Source: www.hendersonchambers.co.uk

Running on Empty: New report finds serious problems with legal help for the public – The Bar Council

Posted January 25th, 2021 in barristers, bereavement, civil justice, families, inquests, legal aid, news by tracey

‘A newly published report “Running on Empty” from the Bar Council, which represents all barristers in England and Wales, reveals the severity of problems in the civil legal aid system.’

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The Bar Council, 15th January 2021

Source: www.barcouncil.org.uk

Widow leads fight over smart motorways after landmark crash inquest – The Independent

Posted January 25th, 2021 in accidents, bereavement, coroners, corporate manslaughter, inquests, news, police, road safety, roads by tracey

‘The widow of a motorist who died on a smart motorway is leading the fight to have them banned after a coroner concluded they pose “an ongoing risk of future deaths”.’

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The Independent, 23rd January 2021

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Met police officer faces new hearing over death of mentally ill black man – The Guardian

Posted January 25th, 2021 in death in custody, disciplinary procedures, inquests, mental health, news, police, professional conduct, race discrimination, racism, restraint by tracey

‘A senior police officer cleared of misconduct over the high-profile death of a mentally ill black man is to face fresh disciplinary proceedings because of failings in the original case, the Observer can reveal.’

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The Guardian, 24th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Standard of Proof and the Chief Coroner’s Law Sheet No.6 – Maughan and Beyond – Parklane Plowden Chambers

Posted January 22nd, 2021 in appeals, chambers articles, civil justice, coroners, inquests, news, standard of proof, Supreme Court, unlawful killing by sally

‘On 13th January 2021, the new Chief Coroner, HHJ Teague QC, published Law Sheet No.6. This new guidance comes exactly two months after the Supreme Court gave judgment on 13th November 2020 in the case of R (on the application of Thomas Maughan) v. HM Senior Coroner for Oxfordshire [2020] UKSC 46 where it ruled by majority that all conclusions in coronial inquests, whether short form or narrative, are to be determined on the civil standard of proof: the balance of probabilities.’

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Parklane Plowden Chambers, 19th January 2021

Source: www.parklaneplowden.co.uk

Joy Morgan: Murdered student ‘may have been given drugs without knowing’ – BBC News

Posted January 21st, 2021 in drug abuse, inquests, murder, news, sentencing by sally

‘A student murdered by a fellow church member may have been given drugs without her knowing, an inquest heard.’

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BBC News, 20th January 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Rare inquests into UK Covid deaths raise concerns over care failings – The Guardian

Posted January 19th, 2021 in care homes, coronavirus, inquests, news, reports by sally

‘A series of healthcare failures that could lead to more people dying from Covid-19 were highlighted by a coroner during rare inquests into deaths in the first wave of the pandemic.’

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The Guardian, 18th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Families of citizens dying after contact with police still await justice – The Guardian

Posted January 18th, 2021 in bereavement, complaints, death in custody, families, inquests, mental health, news, ombudsmen, police, professional conduct by sally

‘Relatives of people who have died after contact with the police have told of their distrust in and dissatisfaction with the ability of the complaints system to help deliver justice.’

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The Guardian, 18th January 2021

Source: www.theguardian.com

Errol Graham: Starved man’s family take benefits case to court – BBC News

Posted January 12th, 2021 in benefits, equality, government departments, human rights, inquests, judicial review, mental health, ministers' powers and duties, news by sally

‘The family of a mentally ill man who starved to death after his benefits were stopped will take on the government at the High Court later.’

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BBC News, 12th January 2021

Source: www.bbc.co.uk