What happens if the coroner decides to hold an inquest?
A coroner must hold an inquest if the cause of death remains unknown, or if there is cause for the coroner to suspect that the deceased died a violent or unnatural death, or died in prison. If there has been an autopsy, the coroner will normally issue the necessary authority permitting a burial or cremation, so that a funeral can be held, even though the inquest has not been concluded. In such circumstances the death cannot be registered. In order to assist the administration of the estate, an interim certificate of fact of death can be issued by the coroner. This certificate should be acceptable to banks and financial institutions, unless it is important for them to know the outcome of the inquest (for example, for an insurance settlement). This interim certificate can also be used for benefit claims and National Insurance purposes. After the inquest has been resumed and concluded the coroner will notify the registrar of deaths by issuing an after-inquest certificate so that the death
