New child death laws for coroners
Mathew Little
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Coroners will have to notify Local Safeguarding Children Boards of the death of any child reported to them, justice minister Bridget Prentice has announced.
Coroners will also be allowed to supply information, such as postmortem examinations and documents given in evidence in an inquest, to safeguarding boards.
The Ministry of Justice said that the changes would enable safeguarding boards to meet their statutory obligations, including their responsibility to conduct child death reviews.
In further changes to coroner rules, Prentice announced that, from this month, organisations will have a statutory duty to respond to coroners’ reports on action that should be taken to prevent future deaths. Reports and responses will be shared with bereaved families.
"Under the new rules we’re introducing, organisations will no longer be able to ignore coroners’ reports sent to them," said Prentice.
