Cases are notified to the coroner by the police, parish officer, any
medical practitioner, registrar of deaths, or by any private individual.
Witnesses, having been cited to appear, are examined on oath by the
coroner, who must, in criminal cases at least, take down the evidence in
writing. This is then read over to each witness, who signs it, and this
forms his _deposition_. At the end of each case the coroner sums up, and
the jury return their verdict or _inquisition_, either unanimously or by
a majority.
If this charges any person with murder or manslaughter, he is committed
by the coroner to prison to await trial, or, if not present, the coroner
may issue a warrant for his arrest.
A chemical analysis of the contents of the stomach, etc., in suspected
cases of poisoning is usually done by a special analyst named by the
coroner. If any witness disobeys the summons to attend the inquest, he
renders himself liable to a fine not exceeding L2 2s., but in addition
the coroner may commit him to prison for contempt of court. In criminal
cases the witnesses are bound over to appear at the assizes to give
evidence there. The coroner may give an order for the exhumation of a
body if he thinks the evidence warrants a post-mortem examination.
Pages:
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26