Coroners and Justice Act 2009

47 “Interested person” E+W

(1) This section applies for the purposes of this Part.

(2) “Interested person”, in relation to a deceased person or an investigation or inquest under this Part into a person's death, means—

(a) a spouse, civil partner, partner, parent, child, brother, sister, grandparent, grandchild, child of a brother or sister, stepfather, stepmother, half-brother or half-sister;

(b) a personal representative of the deceased;

(c) a medical examiner exercising functions in relation to the death of the deceased;

(d) a beneficiary under a policy of insurance issued on the life of the deceased;

(e) the insurer who issued such a policy of insurance;

(f) a person who may by any act or omission have caused or contributed to the death of the deceased, or whose employee or agent may have done so;

(g) in a case where the death may have been caused by—

(i) an injury received in the course of an employment, or

(ii) a disease prescribed under section 108 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (c. 4) (benefit in respect of prescribed industrial diseases, etc),

a representative of a trade union of which the deceased was a member at the time of death;

(h) a person appointed by, or representative of, an enforcing authority;

(i) where subsection (3) applies, a chief constable;

(j) where subsection (4) applies, a Provost Marshal [F1 of a service police force or of the tri-service serious crime unit];

(k) where subsection (5) applies, the [F2 Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct];

[F3 (ka) where subsection (5A) applies, the Service Police Complaints Commissioner;]

[F4 (kb) where an advocate has been appointed under section 36(1) of the Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 in respect of an incident which may have caused or contributed to the death of the deceased—

(i) each advocate that has been appointed under that section in respect of that incident, and

(ii) the standing advocate appointed under section 35(1) of that Act;]

(l) a person appointed by a Government department to attend [F5 or follow] an inquest into the death or to assist in, or provide evidence for the purposes of, an investigation into the death under this Part;

(m) any other person who the senior coroner thinks has a sufficient interest.

(3) This subsection applies where it appears that a person has or may have committed—

(a) a homicide offence involving the death of the deceased, or

(b) a related offence (other than a service offence).

(4) This subsection applies where it appears that a person has or may have committed—

(a) the service equivalent of a homicide offence involving the death of the deceased, or

(b) a service offence that is a related offence.

(5) This subsection applies where the death of the deceased is or has been the subject of an investigation managed or carried out by the [F6 Director General of the Independent Office for Police Conduct] in accordance with Part 3 of Schedule 3 to the Police Reform Act 2002 (c. 30), including that Part as extended or applied by or under any statutory provision (whenever made).

[F7 (5A) This subsection applies where the death of the deceased is or has been the subject of an investigation directed or carried out by the Service Police Complaints Commissioner in accordance with provision made under section 340P of the Armed Forces Act 2006.]

(6) “Interested person”, in relation to an object that is or may be treasure or treasure trove, or an investigation or inquest under Chapter 4 concerning such an object, means—

(a) the British Museum, if the object was found or is believed to have been found in England;

(b) the National Museum of Wales, if the object was found or is believed to have been found in Wales;

(c) the finder of the object or any person otherwise involved in the find;

(d) the occupier, at the time the object was found, of the land where it was found or is believed to have been found;

(e) a person who had an interest in that land at that time or who has had such an interest since;

(f) any other person who the Coroner for Treasure thinks has a sufficient interest.

(7) For the purposes of this section, a person is the partner of a deceased person if the two of them (whether of different sexes or the same sex) were living as partners in an enduring relationship at the time of the deceased person's death.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 47(2)(j) inserted (1.5.2022 for specified purposes, 5.12.2022 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), s. 24(1), Sch. 5 para. 38; S.I. 2022/471, reg. 2(e); S.I. 2022/1095, reg. 4

F2 Words in s. 47(2)(k) substituted (31.1.2017 for specified purposes, 8.1.2018 in so far as not already in force) by Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3), s. 183(1)(5)(e), Sch. 9 para. 71(a); S.I. 2017/1249, reg. 2 (with reg. 3)

F3 S. 47(2)(ka) inserted (1.11.2022 for specified purposes, 19.6.2023 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), s. 24(1), Sch. 4 para. 7(a); S.I. 2022/1095, reg. 3; S.I. 2023/621, reg. 2

F4 S. 47(2)(kb) inserted (18.9.2024 except for the insertion of s. 47(2)(kb)(ii)) by Victims and Prisoners Act 2024 (c. 21), ss. 40, 81(2) (with ss. 39(9), 43(7)); S.I. 2024/966, reg. 2(f)

F5 Words in s. 47(2)(l) inserted (28.6.2022) by Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 (c. 35), ss. 40(5), 51(3)

F6 Words in s. 47(5) substituted (31.1.2017 for specified purposes, 8.1.2018 in so far as not already in force) by Policing and Crime Act 2017 (c. 3), s. 183(1)(5)(e), Sch. 9 para. 71(b); S.I. 2017/1249, reg. 2 (with reg. 3)

F7 S. 47(5A) inserted (1.11.2022 for specified purposes, 19.6.2023 in so far as not already in force) by Armed Forces Act 2021 (c. 35), s. 24(1), Sch. 4 para. 7(b); S.I. 2022/1095, reg. 3; S.I. 2023/621, reg. 2