Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has plans to change the remit of the Chief Coroner; and if he will make a statement.

We have no plans to change the remit of the Chief Coroner, nor to amend the accountability of coroners, or the complaints procedures in relation to the conduct of coroners.

Judicial office holders, including coroners, must be independent and free from external influence in the exercise of their judicial functions. These are fundamental principles for the protection of the rule of law and the constitutional separation of powers.

Complaints against the conduct of a Coroner, as with any other judge, are considered by the Judicial Complaints and Investigations Office while a coroner’s decision may be subject to challenge in the courts by way of a judicial review.

Judicial office holders are not a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and are therefore not subject to disclosure under that Act.

The Chief Coroner’s role, defined in statute, is to provide national leadership for coroners, devise and deliver training and provide written guidance on various matters to ensure consistency of standards and approach. He is also required to produce an annual report for the Lord Chancellor, which the Lord Chancellor must then lay before Parliament.