The student's hand-book of forensic medicine and public health / by H. Aubrey Husband.

  • Husband, H. Aubrey (Henry Aubrey)
Date:
1889
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The student's hand-book of forensic medicine and public health / by H. Aubrey Husband. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    23/652 (page 3)
    The Coroner's Court.—The office of coroner is men- tioned in a charter, 925. Coroners are chosen for life by the freeholders of the district, their duties being first clearly pointed out by the Act (4 Edw. I., 1275). An attempt is to be made during the present session of Parliament to improve the method of election of coroners, the existing one being manifestly absurd. It is the duty of every coroner, on due notice being given him, to inquire into the cause of any unnatural death taking place in his district super visum corporis only; and he has the power, within a convenient time after the death, to order a dead body to be disinterred in order to view it, the vietv being absolutely necessary to give jurisdiction to him. The coroner has also power to require the attendance of such witnesses as he may deem necessary for the investigation of the case, all of whom must be examined on oath, and have viewed the body (Wakley v, Cooke, 4 Exch. 511); and such witnesses may be bound over to appear at a future trial. He may, if necessary, adjourn his inquiry for further evidence, etc. The Jury cannot consist of less than twelve persons, but in some cases there may be twenty-three Jurors, all of whom must view the body, their finding being equivalent to the finding of a Grand Jury. As the functions of the coroner are to determine the cause of death, all cases of homicide have to be dealt with by the magistrates; thus it often happens that the two inquiries are going on at one and the same time, the one to discover the cause of death, the other to decide as to the culpability of the accused, and the necessity for a further investigation in a higher Court. In cases where a verdict of manslaughter or murder has been returned against an individual, the coroner may commit him for trial if present, or he may issue a warrant for his apprehension, either to bring the accused before himself or before a magistrate to be so committed. Bail may be admitted by a coroner (under 22 Vict., c. 33,) in a case of manslaughter, but if refused, application