Coroners conduct vital work in establishing the truth about how people die; whether groups or individuals should be held to account for the death; delivering justice for the bereaved and wider community in the aftermath of that death; and learning lessons that prevent future deaths. Although vital, their work is largely under-acknowledged and under-researched. This book addresses that knowledge gap by critically examining the work of coroners in four Anglophone countries. It adopts an interdisciplinary approach by considering coronial principles and practice in the context of social, political, economic and legal perspectives.
The book uses a separate case study and concept in each chapter to provide readers with a contextualised understanding of how coroners go about their work in Australia, Canada, England and Wales, and New Zealand. As a human rights discourse becomes more embedded in legal systems and prominent in political and social worlds, the work of coroners has become increasingly relevant. The book argues that a focus on systemic and structural causes of death has emerged from an evolution of coronial principles and practice. As such, it argues that the role of coroners in the 21st century should be reconsidered to focus more on public health and the prevention of future deaths and harms.
This book offers an essential reference tool for students, academics, researchers and practitioners in various disciplines such as medicine, nursing, criminology, sociology, psychology, law, social policy, public health, governance, and forensics.
