The Media

Almost all inquests take place in open court and members of the press have the right to attend and to report on proceedings. 

There are two exceptions that occur very rarely:

1. The Coroner makes an order excluding the press and public from court while hearing evidence that may affect national security, for example specific information about military or police tactics.
2. The Coroner makes an order preventing the publication of information that may lead to a living minor (usually the child of a deceased person) being identified.

We ask all members of the press to be sensitive to the wishes of bereaved families and respect their decision on whether they want to answer questions or make a statement.

Court staff will not give out any information about a deceased person, except to confirm whether an inquest has been opened, and the date and time of the hearing.  After the inquest, they may give out the verdict of the inquest as this is a matter of public record, but they will not release any other information.

You may find the online court diary and list of forthcoming major inquests useful.