A coroner oversees the handling of corpses, with different responsibilities and authority depending on the country. They perform administrative duties, investigate suspicious deaths, and preside over court hearings to determine the cause of death. Training requirements vary.
A coroner is an official who oversees the handling of corpses. In different countries, the meaning of the office is different and the person has different areas of responsibility and authority. In most cases, the coroner performs administrative duties involving the deceased, such as collecting the bodies, identifying the bodies, determining the cause of death, granting exhumation requests, testifying in court, and delivering bodies to their families. In most cases, he acts as a coroner, performing an autopsy on the body to determine how and when the person died. In other countries, this person is actually a court official who handles the inquiry, or judicial inquiry, into the death.
In the case of a coroner acting as a medical examiner, which is the most common example, all deaths must be reported to this person, who will investigate the death if suspicious. In general, any death that occurs outside of a hospital is considered suspicious. A coroner or office representative picks up the deceased from the location where they were discovered and brings them back to the office for examination. The coroner determines the time and cause of death and issues a formal death certificate and autopsy report. If the death turns out to be a homicide, the information gathered by the office will serve as evidence in the case.
When a coroner acts as bailiff, he or she presides over a court hearing that determines the cause of death and what action should be taken, if any. At the hearing, evidence will be presented by a coroner, along with witnesses and other relevant speakers. The inquest attempts to determine who the deceased was, how he died and whether or not foul play was involved. If the inquest determines the death was a homicide, other law enforcement agencies take over, launching an investigation to track down the killer. In England, due to an archaic law, this person also manages treasure reports, determining who gets the reward for the treasure, since all treasure found belongs, by right, to the Crown.
Training to become a coroner has different requirements, depending on where it is needed. If the person is acting as a bailiff, the qualification of a solicitor may be required. Anyone who works as a medical examiner must attend medical school. Other supplemental training may be required, and the training may be different for coroner’s assistants, who are trained to collect and process evidence.
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