An inquest is an inquiry into who has died and how, when and where the death occurred. An inquest is not a trial and does not determine blame or responsibility for a death.

An inquest is usually opened primarily to record that a death has occurred and to identify the person who has died. It will then be adjourned until the coroner's investigations into the death have been completed. The full inquest will then be resumed. Inquests are open to the public and journalists are usually present.

Next-of-kin have the right to be informed of the date, time and place of the inquest, and to have someone with them to support them at the inquest. The coroner will decide who should give evidence as witnesses at the inquest, although families can inform the coroner of particular witnesses they believe should be called. Witnesses can be compelled to attend. Witnesses are questioned by the coroner, and the next-of-kin have the right to question witnesses at the inquest, or to have a legal representative do so on their behalf.

Possible verdicts include natural causes, accident, suicide, unlawful or lawful killing, and open verdict where there is insufficient evidence for any other verdict. The coroner may also report the death to any appropriate person or authority, if action is needed to prevent further deaths in similar circumstances.

Evidence given at an inquest may help families understand what has happened. Families can have access to Notes of Evidence at an inquest, or copies can be obtained on payment of a fee.

INQUEST, a national charity, has an Information Pack which provides information to families and those acting in an advisory role. The pack can be viewed online, or downloaded at http://inquest.gn.apc.org/pdf/info_all.pdf [1] and their website contains a wealth of information for families and professionals at http://inquest.gn.apc.org/main.html [2]