Information for witnesses

Information for witnesses

This page is to help witnesses to understand more about the work of the coroner, why you may be asked to be a witness and what will happen at the inquest itself.

Why you may be asked to be a witness for a coroner

A coroner must investigate all deaths that may be unnatural or where the deceased (person who has died) was in a state of custody at the time of their death.

If you witnessed events surrounding a death that the coroner’s investigating, you may be asked to give evidence at an inquest.

If you need to attend an inquest to give evidence, the Coroner’s Office will send you a schedule 5 notice. This is a legal document requiring you to attend at the court at Stourport on Severn. but you should check the notice as sometimes we may hold an inquest elsewhere.

You must attend to give evidence on the date and at the time stated in the notice (this will clearly state if the Coroner’s Office expects it to be more than one day). The consequences of not attending are set out in the notice. Please make sure you arrive at least 15 minutes before the hearing is due to start. You will need to stay at the hearing until the Coroner says you can leave.

If you’re unable to attend the hearing, you must write to the Coroner’s Office as soon as possible. You should state the reason why you can’t attend and include proof, for example flight confirmation, where possible.

You can read more information about Coroner services and coroner investigations on the Gov.uk website.

Writing a witness statement for the coroner

You should write your witness statement in plain English, explaining any technical terms, and send it by email to the Coroner’s Office.

Do not cut-and-paste large sections of notes together to make a statement.

Please use the standard witness statement template (Word) document when writing your statement for the coroner.

What should a witness statement include

All witness statements should address any known concerns raised by the family and include details of:

  • your current professional position
  • your professional position at the time you were treating the deceased
  • your qualifications
  • the full chronology of events leading to death

Set out in chronological order the details of your involvement with the deceased  

  • explain any relevant background
  • set out the facts, what you saw or did or said, or saw others do or say
  • avoid providing any opinion and comment

If you are a medical professional involved in the care of the deceased, please include details of any assessment and/or treatment you and/or your team provided, including:

  • the place
  • the date
  • the relevant history at the point of assessment/treatment
  • condition on assessment
  • outcome of investigations
  • the diagnosis (and the basis for it)
  • treatment given
  • any complications that arose
  • progress and response to treatment
  • your opinion on the likely medical cause of death, if you are able to give one

If the coroner concludes that your statement is relevant to their investigation it must be shared with any interested party that asks for it. This might be in advance of or during the inquest.

Following the inquest, evidence may be given to anyone who, in the opinion of the coroner, should have access to it.

Guidance on giving evidence at an inquest

Giving evidence may, for some, be a daunting prospect.

Witnesses usually give evidence from the witness box at the front of court, near the coroner. The coroner may allow family members to give evidence from their seat at the front of the court, if it would be physically or emotionally difficult for them to give evidence from the witness box.

All witnesses must swear to tell the truth at the start of giving evidence. It’s a criminal offence to lie when giving evidence under oath in a Coroner’s Court.

Remember that the coroner will ask questions about your involvement with the deceased using the statement that you have provided. You will therefore find it useful to bring a copy of the statement with you, so you can refer to it if needed.

The coroner will be the first person to ask each witness questions, and will ask most of the questions. Other people may ask questions too, but the questions may only be about who the deceased was, and how, when and where they died. The Coroner will stop witnesses from answering any questions that aren’t appropriate.

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