Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (CJA 2009)
Definition
The primary UK statute governing HM Coroner's jurisdiction in England and Wales. Section 1(2) triggers a duty to investigate when the coroner has reason to suspect violent, unnatural, or unknown-cause death, or death in custody or state detention.
- Jurisdiction
- England and Wales
- Key section
- Section 1(2)
- Triggers duty on
- Violent, unnatural, or unknown-cause death
- Also covers
- Death in custody or state detention
Common questions
What does the Section 1(2) duty actually require the coroner to do?+
Once one of the triggering circumstances applies, the coroner must open an investigation into the death, which may or may not lead to an inquest depending on what the investigation finds about cause and circumstances.
Does CJA 2009 apply anywhere outside England and Wales?+
No. Scotland and Northern Ireland run separate death-investigation systems under different legislation, so the Act's duties and definitions apply only within England and Wales.
Related terms
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- CPP Articles 74-75 (France)
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- INTERPOL DVI Protocol
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- Medical Examiner (US)
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- NAME Referral Criteria
- The National Association of Medical Examiners consensus criteria for deaths that should receive medico-legal investigation. Categories include sudden unexpected death in apparently...