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The article offers guidance for clinicians on how to provide effective evidence at a coroner's inquest in Great Britain. Topics include the judicial role of the coroner, the inquest process, and some recommendations for preparing a witness statement for the coroner. The coroner's inquest is said to be mainly concerned with the facts surrounding a patient's death. Also noted is that advice from the National Health Service (NHS) Trust legal team may help reduce anxiety on the day of the inquest.

This article presents updates on several criminal law legislation in Great Britain as of November 11, 2010. It includes the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 Order 2010, which extends the power of the magistrates' courts to make drinking banning orders on conviction, and the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, which enforces provisions of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 for England and Wales.

This paper provides a critical assessment of the National Research Council's (NRC) 2009 report in light of comparative experience in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It suggests that the NRC's proposals for federal regulation of the forensic sciences are more appropriate for a unitary state than a federal system. The NRC report could have been strengthened by examining the British experience with a forensic regulator and a 2008 report on forensic pathology in the Canadian province of Ontario. The Ontario pathology report has already produced tangible reforms to the practice of forensic pathology within coroners' systems while the NRC unrealistically calls for the abolition of all coroner systems. The dangers of superficial reforms are examined, including a Canadian example of published research being misapplied in a manner that contributed to a wrongful conviction. Finally, the NRC's pessimistic conclusions about judicial exclusion of unreliable forensic science are contrasted with recent and more optimistic reform proposals in Canada and the United Kingdom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a postal survey to assess the ability of intensive care unit directors and Her Majesty's Coroners to recognise deaths that should be reported to the local coroner. The survey questionnaire consisted of 12 hypothetical case scenarios. Coroners were significantly better at identifying reportable deaths than intensive care unit directors (median correct recognition scores of 11 (interquartile range 9.25–11) vs. 8 (interquartile range 7–10), respectively, p < 0.01). Deaths associated with an accident, medical treatments, industrial disease, neglect and substance abuse were significantly under-reported by intensive care unit directors ( p < 0.01). Results show that significant numbers of deaths on intensive care units in England and Wales may not be being referred for further investigation, and that wide variation in local coroners' practices exists. Improvements in postgraduate medicolegal education about deaths reportable to a coroner are required. National regulations need to be more detailed and standardised so that regional variation is eliminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents letters to the editor regarding medical issues. Concern about heavy drinking by young British women; Perceived need for the establishment of a full time forensic pathology service in Great Britain; Electronic patient records in general practice; Others.

Comments on several issues on health services in Great Britain. Reduction of working hours of junior doctors; Sodium retention in eight patients with hypertension; Report on forensic pathology.

The article deals with the effect of the Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights on the British coronial law. As a whole, the article argued that where material from the post-mortem analysis or other special examination needs to be preserved, the pathologist must notify the Coroner in writing that material should be retained.

Provides information on the history of the job of coroners in Great Britain. Legislation and directives from the monarchy creating the office of the coroner; Duties in the detection of crime; Role as investigator of preventable deaths.

Presents an editorial on the interpretation of toxicology results in postmortem examinations. Case of David Kelly, a weapons expert who killed himself after he was identified in the press as being the man the UK government believed was the source for a BBC report on Iraq; At issue, conflicting views about the cause of his death; Contention that believing forensic pathology is as evidence-based as other branches of medicine is erroneous; Reasons for this; Assertion that postmortem measurements of drug concentration in blood have little meaning alone; Why it is vital that all aspects of the mediolegal death investigation, history, pathology and laboratory results must be evaluated in context with one another; Preparation of suggestions for reform.

Editorial. Examines the coroner's service in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and discusses possible reforms. Number of former British colonies that have scrapped the coroner's system for use of the medical examiner's system; Details of judicial inquiry into Great Britain's coroner service, and the required changes necessary to overhaul the system; Details of the Shipman inquiry report conducted by Dame Janet Smith, proposing more medical input in the system; Recommendation for Smith's proposal and why.

Editorial. Discusses the forensic pathology service in Great Britain. Exclusion of the service from the National Health Service; Review of the forensic pathology service by the Home Office due to scandals, including the conviction of serial killer Dr. Harold Shipman; Lack of standards and peer review of forensic pathologists; Support for a forensic medicine government agency.

Focuses on the need for forensic pathology in Great Britain. Retirement of forensic pathologists; Contribution of medical practitioners in forensic pathology; Integration of medicine and science in legal medicine.

Abstract: Aims: Previous organ retention controversies in the United Kingdom have resulted in public concern in relation to the retention of organs following post mortem examination. Therefore, protocols were devised and implemented to facilitate adequate sampling for diagnostic purposes for neuropathology autopsy referrals, without the need for organ retention. We have examined various aspects of referral practice before and after the introduction of these new sampling protocols. Methods: All neuropathology autopsy referral cases were reviewed between 1993 and 1995, and 2003 and 2005 and data such as: referral source, nature of samples (whether whole organ or limited sampling) and final diagnosis were recorded. Results: Overall, the number of autopsy cases referred for neuropathology opinion reduced, particularly those originating from hospital consented autopsies. Forensic referrals also reduced, with a shift in practice from referrals of whole fixed brains, to both whole brains and sampled brain slices. Within the referrals from forensic practice, whilst cases of ‘natural deaths’ and head injury cases secondary to road traffic accidents or falls reduced, cases involving inflicted, traumatic head injury and sudden unexpected death in epilepsy and infancy remained static. Conclusion: The introduction of protocols to facilitate sampling of brains at autopsy, so minimising organ retention, proved successful and, whilst there has been a reduction in neuropathology referrals, cases in which neuropathology input is deemed best practice remained static. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The author reflects on the implications of the emergence of bad stories about British coroners. He comments on the inclusion of secret inquests into the Coroners and Justice Bill, which eliminated the ancient right of every citizen to a coroner's inquest in open court. He discusses an investigation into the death of newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson during the G20 demonstrations in London, England. The author also favors an inquest that is free of any sort of criticism in relation to accidental and suspicious deaths.

Reports on the hearing of the General Medical Council against pathologist Alan WIlliams, who did the postmortem exams on the two dead children of Sally Clark. Incompetence of Williams, who allegedly acted beyond his expertise in the case; Missteps of Williams in the autopsies which made his work virtually meaningless at Clark's trial.