Unnatural death Flashcards
What is natural death
An internal bodily event not influenced by external causes
What is unnatrual death?
Death caused by an external event
What is the leading cause of death in males 10-49?
Suicide and injury or poisoning of undetermined intent
WHo is a coroner
Judge appointed by local authority (usually lawyer sometimes dr)
When must a coroner investgate a death?
If the deceased died a violent/unnatural death, cause of death is unknown, or deceased died in custody/state detention
Who refers cases to a coroner?
Dr or police, can be anyone unhappy with cause of death
What must a coroner do to legally certify cause of death
Autopsy, inquest, or both
Wen must a coroner open an inquest
When there is reasonable cause to suspect the death was anything other than natural causes
What is an inquest
A public factfinding event establishing who the deceased was, when and where they died, and how they came about their death
When must an inquest see the coroner sit with the jury?
Unnatural death in state detention, act/omission of police officer, and when death was caused by a notifiable accident, poisoning, or disease
How long is an inquest aimed to be
less than 6 months
What does an inquest ascertain
Who deceased was, how, when and where they died, as well as date/place of birth, name, sex, married name if relevant, occupation and address
