Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has considered the potential merits of introducing a more accessible appeals mechanism for coroners’ rulings.

The Government believes that coroners’ decisions can be effectively and appropriately challenged by means of the existing mechanisms of judicial review or application for a first or fresh inquest under section 13 of the Coroners Act 1988.

As soon as Parliamentary time allows, we will bring forward amendments to section 13 to enable the High Court, in appropriate circumstances, to direct the Record of Inquest to be amended without the need for a fresh inquest. This will provide the court with greater flexibility to ensure that it can fulfil its role as expediently as possible and in a way that best serves the interests of justice.