§ Mr. Terlezkiasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to allow coroners the power to refer issues of public concern to a futher judicial inquiry.
§ Mr. MellorNo. The existing law already provides for various forms of inquiry into a death additional to the inquest in a coroner's court.
§ Mr. Terlezkiasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation providing further rights of appeal from decisions of coroners' courts.
§ Mr. MellorThe report of the Brodrick committee on death certification and coroners (Cmnd. 4810) made recommendations for extending existing provisions of the right of appeal against the decision of a coroner's court. We have no immediate plans for legislation on these proposals; but my right hon. and learned Friend will keep them in mind in the course of his further consideration of the future of the coroners' system.
§ Mr. Terlezkiasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to give effect to those parts of the Brodrick report on coroners which have not so far been implemented, with regard to the role of juries.
§ Mr. MellorThe recommendations of the Brodrick committee on death certification and coroners (Cmnd. 4810) concerning juries have been partially implemented by section 56 of the Criminal Law Act 1977 and the Coroners Juries Act 1983. The outstanding recommendation, giving coroners complete discretion in deciding when to sit with a jury, will be considered in the context of any future proposals for reorganising the coroners' system.