Chief Coroner of England and Wales

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The Chief Coroner of England and Wales is the most senior coroner in England and Wales, and supervises the work of other coroners in that jurisdiction. [1]

Contents

The post was created by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. The first Chief Coroner was appointed in 2010, though he did not take up his post until 2012. [1] Previously there had been no national head of the coroner service.

The Chief Coroner is appointed by the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, in consultation with the Lord Chancellor. To be eligible for appointment, a person must be either a judge of the High Court or a circuit judge and be under the age of 75.

Post holders

Since 2009, three men have held the position: [1]

All three men were circuit judges sitting in the Crown Court at the time of their appointment.

Deputy Chief Coroners

Two Deputy Chief Coroners were appointed in January 2019: Derek Winter, the Senior Coroner for the Sunderland Coroner Area, and Alexia Durran, a senior circuit judge. [2]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 "Office of the Chief Coroner". UK Courts and Tribunals Judiciary. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  2. "Coroner's appointment is a national first". Sunderland City Council. Retrieved 29 August 2023.