Coroners are independent judicial officers of the State who inquire into sudden, unexplained and unexpected deaths including deaths due to accidents and those arising in suspicious circumstances. An inquest is an inquiry held in public by a Coroner.

An inquest is a fact-finding exercise, conducted where an individual has died in certain circumstances. The purpose of an inquest, conducted by a coroner with or without a jury, is to establish reliable answers to important factual questions as set out in section 18A of the Coroners Acts 1962 – 2019, namely:

  • The identity of the deceased
  • How he / she came by their death
  • The date of death
  • The place of his / her death
  • The circumstances in which the death occurred.

The inquest is a public enquiry to determine the truth. It is not a trial. It is an inquisitorial process to establish facts. An inquest is not a method of apportioning guilt or blame.