Coroner Job Information | National Careers Service

Job profiles

Coroner

Hours

Variable
Starting salary

£9,900 + per year

If you are good at analysing and investigating things, and you can also explain complex information in a clear and understandable way, this job could suit you.

Coroners are independent judicial officers who inquire into violent, unnatural or sudden deaths of unknown cause and deaths which have occurred in prison which are reported to them.

To be a coroner you would need to have excellent communication skills. You would need to be tactful and sensitive. You would also need to be a logical thinker.

To become a coroner you must be a qualified barrister, solicitor or doctor with at least five years' post-qualifying experience. Most coroners start out as a deputy or assistant deputy coroner.

The work

As a coroner you would:

investigate the circumstances of all reported deaths
determine the cause of death by looking into all the available information (often this will involve discussing the case with the deceased's doctor)
decide whether to order a post-mortem examination if there are questions around the cause of death
hold an inquest if the death was not natural to establish who the deceased was and how, when and where they came by their death
notify the Registrar about the death or the results of the inquest
write reports to prevent future deaths, where appropriate
make sure that all procedures and records follow the law
appoint a deputy and usually one or more assistant deputy coroners.

Hours

Coroners must be available at all times to undertake any duties in connection with inquests and post-mortem examinations. How this 24 hour cover is provided varies from district to district. Some coroners are full-time, meaning being a coroner is their only job, whereas other coroners work part-time, and spend the rest of their time working in private legal practice.

Income

Salaries for whole-time coroners are based on the population size of the area they cover and range between £91,000 and £99,000 per annum
Part-time coroners and deputy coroners are paid according to the number of cases they take on each year, ranging from around £9,900 for 200 cases to £50,500 for 2000 cases a year.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Entry requirements

Coroners must be qualified barristers, solicitors or doctors with at least five years' post-qualifying experience. A few coroners have qualifications in both law and medicine. See the related profiles for more information about qualifying in law or medicine.

You would usually start as a deputy or assistant deputy coroner. You must first find a coroner to appoint you as his or her deputy or assistant deputy. You can find details of local coroners' offices on the Coroners' Society of England and Wales website.

Part 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, (the 2009 Act), which received Royal Assent in November 2009, makes provision for reforming the coroner service, including the recruitment and training of coroners. Section 23 and schedule 3 envisages that all newly appointed coroners will need law qualifications. More coroners will serve on a full-time (known as 'whole-time') basis. These provisions are yet to be implemented. Keep checking the coroners section of the Ministry of Justice website for the latest information.

Ministry of Justice – Coroners

Training and development

Coroner training is provided by the Coroners Division of the Ministry of Justice. Coroner training consists of induction training for newly appointed coronial office holders and continuing professional development training for all coroners.

You will also be expected to keep up to date with changes in law, medical procedures and administrative practices.

Skills and knowledge

To be a coroner you should have:

strong analytical skills
excellent communication skills
the ability to explain complex legal and medical terms in an understandable way
a tactful and sensitive approach
a sound knowledge of the law
logical thinking and good judgement
the ability to follow procedures
a high level of attention to detail
accurate record keeping
the ability to deal with a wide range of people including police officers, witnesses and the media.

More information

Ministry of Justice (Opens new window)
102 Petty France
London
SW1H 9AJ
Tel: 0203 334 3555
www.justice.gov.uk/about/moj

Coroners' Society of England and Wales (Opens new window)
www.coronersociety.org.uk

Opportunities

You would be appointed by a local council in one of 114 districts in England and Wales, but you will be an independent judicial office holder.

It is envisaged that reforms to the coroner service will mean that there are likely to be a smaller number of coroner areas (around 60 to 65 larger districts) in the future, each with one full-time coroner and a pool of assistant coroners.

Vacancies are usually advertised locally and/or on the Coroners’ Society website.

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

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