Coroner

A public official who investigates deaths that are sudden, unexplained, or suspicious and may determine their cause and manner.

Death investigation: A formal inquiry into the circumstances and medical cause of a death. The coroner’s work is one institutional form of death investigation.
Medical examiner: A physician, usually a forensic pathologist, appointed to investigate deaths under a medical-examiner system. Unlike many coroners, medical examiners must be physicians and commonly perform autopsies themselves.
English common law: A legal tradition developed through court decisions and customs in England and adopted in many jurisdictions. The coroner’s office originated in English law and spread through its legal institutions.
Inquest jury: A group of people who hear evidence and make findings in a coroner’s inquest. In some jurisdictions, jurors help determine facts and make recommendations in a coroner’s inquiry.
Inquest: A public judicial inquiry that establishes facts about a death without deciding criminal guilt. An inquest may let a coroner examine evidence and reach findings in public.
Forensic pathologist: A physician who applies pathology to determine causes of injury and death in legal investigations. Coroners may rely on forensic pathologists for medical examinations and expert conclusions.
William the Conqueror: The Norman duke who conquered England in 1066 and ruled as king until 1087. The coroner’s office is commonly traced to royal administrative reforms after the Norman Conquest.
Death in custody: A death occurring while a person is detained or under the control of state authorities. Such deaths often require independent scrutiny, and some jurisdictions mandate a coroner’s inquest.
Autopsy: A postmortem examination of a body to determine disease, injury, or cause of death. A coroner may order an autopsy when the circumstances or cause of death are unclear.
Forensic science: The application of scientific methods and evidence to legal questions. Coroner investigations draw on forensic disciplines to assess evidence surrounding a death.

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