HC Deb 15 March 1889 vol 333 cc1788-9
MR. MONTAGU (Tower Hamlets, Whitechapel)

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the report in the Star of the 4th instant, of the double inquest in Whitechapel, from which it appears that Louisa Ellesden died suddenly in Spitalfields; that an inquest was held in that locality by the Coroner for North East Middlesex; and that, when the body was subsequently removed to the Whitechapel mortuary, which serves the entire district, Mr. Baxter, Coroner for the South East Division, held a second inquest; and whether he will take steps to prevent the unnecessary repetition of inquests, entailing inconvenience to the relatives of the deceased, and additional cost to the ratepayers in Whitechapel?

MR. MATTHEWS

(1) The facts are correctly stated. (2) Mr. Baxter has written me a letter, in which he contends that the Statute of 1887 left him no option but to hold a second inquest. I cannot admit the soundness of this contention, and I consider that holding a second inquest was improper. If such a case occurs again, I shall consider it my duty to represent the matter to the Lord Chancellor, in order to prevent the occurrence of any such clashing of jurisdiction.