What Happens If The Coroner Does Not Open An Inquest After The Post Mortem

If the results of the post mortem examination show a natural cause of death, and there is no other reason to open an inquest (such as the person having died in custody), the Coroner will close his investigations at this point.

We will send paperwork to the Registrar’s Office to inform them what the Pathologist has found.  When we call you to explain the cause of death, we will let you know that you can now register the death. 

We will need to know which Funeral Director you have engaged and whether you will be having a burial or cremation service.  This is because we produce paperwork to release your relative's body into the care of a named Funeral Director.  The paperwork will be different for a burial or a cremation.  We cannot release the body until we have this information.  If you need a few days to make this decision, that is fine.