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21 October 2010 / John Cooper KC
Issue: 7438 / Categories: Opinion , Constitutional law
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Strangled at birth

As the coalition government began to burn the quangos last week, among the ashes can be found the office of chief coroner.

As the coalition government began to burn the quangos last week, among the ashes can be found the office of chief coroner.

Never can a judicial office have been so short lived. Strangled at birth would be exaggerating its longevity as the post had only just been filled.
In fact, on Tuesday of this week, the MoJ sent an apology to all those who had spent hours assisting them with their consultation paper. It stated that the minister recognised: “The considerable effort that had been undertaken by all who work within the current system to provide good public service...However, the current financial situation means that these reforms must be brought forward without the national leadership framework and new appeal system, headed by a chief coroner.”

The MoJ, in their letter of apology to consultees, added that they were in discussions with the judiciary about whether it would be appropriate to transfer responsibilty for the coronial system to the judges. So it seems

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NEWS
Talk of a reserved ‘Welsh seat’ on the Supreme Court is misplaced. In NLJ this week, Professor Graham Zellick KC explains that the Constitutional Reform Act treats ‘England and Wales’ as one jurisdiction, with no statutory Welsh slot
The government’s plan to curb jury trials has sparked ‘jury furore’. Writing in NLJ this week, David Locke, partner at Hill Dickinson, says the rationale is ‘grossly inadequate’
A year after the $1.5bn Bybit heist, crypto fraud is booming—but so is recovery. Writing in NLJ this week, Neil Holloway, founder and CEO of M2 Recovery, warns that scams hit at least $14bn in 2025, fuelled by ‘pig butchering’ cons and AI deepfakes
After Woodcock confirmed no general duty to warn, debate turns to the criminal law. Writing in NLJ this week, Charles Davey of The Barrister Group urges revival of misprision or a modern equivalent
Family courts are tightening control of expert evidence. Writing in NLJ this week, Dr Chris Pamplin says there is ‘no automatic right’ to call experts; attendance must be ‘necessary in the interests of justice’ under FPR Pt 25
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