The Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013

Notification of post-mortem examination

13.—(1) Where a coroner has requested a suitable practitioner to make a post-mortem examination, the coroner must notify the persons or bodies listed in paragraph (3) of the date, time and place at which that post-mortem examination is to be made.

(2) A coroner need not give such notification, where it is impracticable or where to do so would cause the post-mortem examination to be unreasonably delayed.

(3) The persons to be notified are—

(a) the next of kin or the personal representative of the deceased or any other interested person who has notified the coroner in advance of his or her desire to be represented at the post-mortem examination;

(b) the deceased’s regular medical practitioner, if he or she has notified the coroner of his or her desire to be represented at the post-mortem examination;

(c) if the deceased died in hospital, that hospital;

(d) if the death of the deceased may have been caused by an accident or disease which must be reported to an enforcing authority, to that enforcing authority or the appropriate inspector or representative of that authority;

(e) a Government department which has notified the coroner of its desire to be represented at the examination; and

(f) if the chief officer of police has notified the coroner of his or her desire to be represented at the examination, the chief officer of police.

(4) Any of the persons or bodies listed in paragraph (3) are entitled to be represented at a post-mortem examination by a medical practitioner, or if they are a medical practitioner, may attend themselves.

(5) The following persons may attend a post-mortem examination—

(a) A representative of the chief officer of police from the police force of which he or she is chief officer; and

(b) any other person including a trainee doctor, medical student or other medical practitioner but only with the consent of the coroner.