The Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013

PART 6 Disclosure and provision of information

23.  Part 3 of the Coroners (Inquests) Rules 2013(1) applies to the disclosure of documents to an interested person made by the coroner at any time during the course of an investigation.

Providing information to a Local Safeguarding Children Board

24.—(1) Where a coroner decides to conduct an investigation into a death under section 1 or directs that a post-mortem examination should be made under section 14, and the coroner believes the deceased was under the age of 18, the coroner must notify the appropriate Local Safeguarding Children Board within 3 days of making the decision or direction.

(2) A coroner must provide all information to the appropriate Local Safeguarding Children Board.

(3) In this regulation—

“the appropriate Local Safeguarding Children Board” means the Board established under section 13(1) or 31(1) of the Children Act 2004(2) within whose area the deceased died or within whose area the body was found; and

“information” means any information that is—

(a)

held by the coroner for the purposes of an investigation under Part 1 of the 2009 Act; and

(b)

relates to the death of a person who was or may have been under the age of 18 at the time of death.

Power of the Chief Coroner to require information

25.—(1) The Chief Coroner may at any time require information from a coroner in relation to a particular investigation or investigations that have or are being conducted by that coroner.

(2) A coroner must provide the Chief Coroner with the information requested under paragraph (1).

Investigations lasting more than a year

26.—(1) Where an investigation has not been completed or discontinued within a year of the date that the death was reported, the coroner must notify the Chief Coroner of that fact as soon as is reasonably practicable from the date that the investigation becomes a year old and explain why the investigation has not been completed or discontinued.

(2) A coroner who completes or discontinues an investigation that the coroner has previously notified to the Chief Coroner under paragraph (1), must notify the Chief Coroner of the date the investigation is completed or discontinued and provide a reason for any further delay in completing or discontinuing the investigation.

Retention and release of documents

27.—(1) Any document in the possession of a coroner in connection with an investigation or post-mortem examination must, unless a court or the Chief Coroner otherwise directs, be retained by or on behalf of the coroner for at least 15 years from the date that the investigation is completed.

(2) The coroner may provide any document or copy of any document to any person who in the opinion of the coroner is a proper person to have possession of it.

(3) A coroner may charge for the provision of any document or copy of any document in accordance with any regulations made under Schedule 7.

(1)

S.I. 2013/1616.

(2)

2004 c.31.