Coroners statistics: England and Wales 2013
Source: data.gov.uk (2018-05-25)

Coroners Statistics. This annual bulletin presents statistics on the workload of coroners in England and Wales. Information is provided on the number of deaths reported to coroners, post-mortem examinations and inquests held and conclusions recorded at inquests. It also covers treasure finds reported to coroners, treasure inquests held under the Treasure Act, and proportion of treasure verdicts returned. The data are collected via annual statistical returns completed by coroners.

Data on deaths reported to the coroner are available by gender, age (of deceased with an inquest conclusion recorded) and coroner area. Information is also available on deaths in state detention (including those individuals subject Deprivation of Liberty orders), inquest conclusions and deaths abroad.

1 
 
 
Ministry of Justice 
Statistics bulletin  
 
 
 
 
Published 15 May 2014 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 
2

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 
3
Contents 
Executive Summary 
4 
Introduction 
5 
Deaths reported 
11 
Post-mortem examinations held and inquests opened 
13 
Inquest conclusions recorded 
17 
Treasure and Treasure Trove 
23 
Annex A: Map of coroner areas in England and Wales, 2013 
25 
Annex B: Details of coroner area amalgamations in 2013 
27 
Annex C: Further analysis on number and proportion of deaths            
reported to coroners 
27 
Explanatory notes 
29 
Contacts 
32 
 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 
4
Executive Summary 
This bulletin presents statistics of coroners‟ work during the calendar year 
2013, including deaths reported, post-mortems, and inquests (including those 
for treasure and treasure trove). These figures are used to monitor coroners‟ 
workload, throughput of cases, and proportion of post-mortems and inquests. 
In July 2013, various provisions of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 came 
into force. For further information please see the Introduction, or refer to „A 
Guide to Court and Administrative Justice Statistics‟, which is available at: 
www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-court-and-administrative-
justice-statistics 
 Some 227,984 deaths were reported to coroners in 2013, an increase of 
263 (less than 1%) from the 2012 figure, reflecting in part the 1% increase 
in registered deaths from 2012 to 2013. 
 Just under half (45%) of all registered deaths1 were reported to coroners in 
2013, a slightly lower proportion than in 2012. Over the last ten years this 
proportion has been relatively consistent, within the range 42% to 47%. 
 The estimated average time taken to process an inquest in 2013 (defined 
as being from the date the death was reported until the conclusion of the 
inquest, where the death occurred in England and Wales) was 28 weeks. 
This is two weeks higher than last year‟s figure of 26 weeks. Comparing 
across coroner areas, the maximum average time taken to process an 
inquest in 2013 was 50 weeks, and the minimum average time was nine 
weeks. Over the last five years, the average time has remained in the 
range 26 to 28 weeks. 
 The two most common conclusions recorded at inquest were death from 
natural causes (in 28% of cases) and death by accident or misadventure 
(26%), which has been the case for the last decade. 
 The number of conclusions of suicide recorded by a coroner rose by 7% in 
2013 compared to 2012, from 3,515 to 3,754, reflecting in part the 5% 
increase in total conclusions recorded. Since 2007 the number of suicide 
conclusions has shown a slight upward trend, however, the number of 
suicide conclusions as a proportion of the total has remained at 12% since 
2011. 
 Also rising were the number of unclassified conclusions, a category which 
includes narrative conclusions, which are a factual record of how and in 
what circumstances the death occurred, often recorded where the cause of 
death does not easily fit any of the standard short-form conclusions. 
                                            
1 A provisional figure for the number of registered deaths in England and Wales has been 
used, derived from monthly figures produced by the Office for National Statistics. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 
5
Introduction 
This annual bulletin presents statistics of deaths reported to coroners in 
England and Wales in 2013. Information is provided on the number of deaths 
reported to coroners, post-mortem examinations and inquests held, and 
conclusions recorded at inquests. The data are collected via statistical returns 
completed by coroners. For previous editions of this report please see: 
www.gov.uk/government/collections/coroners-and-burials-statistics 
This publication should be read alongside the statistical tables which 
accompany it, also found via the link above. There is also a supporting CSV 
file to allow users to do their own analysis.  
In addition to the bulletin and tables we have published a Coroners statistical 
tool (also available at the link above). The tool provides easier access to local 
level data and allows the user to compare two areas of interest, for example it 
is possible to compare a coroner area with a geographical region, England or 
Wales. 
The Explanatory Notes section at the end of this report provides information 
about statistical revisions, and the symbols and conventions used. 
If you have any feedback, questions or requests for further information about 
this statistics bulletin, please direct them to the appropriate contact given at 
the end of this report. 
Part 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (the 2009 Act) provided for a 
number of structural and procedural changes to the coroner system in 
England and Wales. The provisions of the 2009 Act, as well as the rules and 
regulations made under it, came into force in July 2013. The 2009 Act 
essentially replaces the Coroners Act 19882 (the 1988 Act) as the legislation 
governing coroner services. 
The 2009 Act and its rules and regulations can be accessed via the links 
below: 
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2009/25/contents  
www.legislation.gov.uk/2013?title=coroners 
                                            
2 The Coroners Act 1988 was repealed in July 2013 with the exceptions of section 13 
(application for a fresh coroner investigation or inquest) and 4A(8) (a coroner in Wales being 
regarded as a coroner for the whole of Wales). 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 
6
The 2009 Act created the new post of Chief Coroner to provide judicial 
oversight of the coroner system. The Chief Coroner‟s main responsibilities are 
to: 
 approve all coroner appointments (along with the Lord Chancellor); 
 keep a register of coroner investigations lasting more than 12 months; and 
 collate, monitor and publish coroners‟ reports to authorities to prevent 
future deaths. 
Further information on the Chief Coroner is available at: 
www.judiciary.gov.uk/about-the-judiciary/office-chief-coroner  
The 2009 Act replaced „coroner districts‟ with „coroner areas‟. For further 
information on changes to coroner areas please see Annex B. 
The hierarchy of coroners under the Coroners Act 1988 consisted (in 
descending order) of coroners, deputy coroners and assistant deputy 
coroners. Under the 2009 Act, they became senior coroners, area coroners 
and assistant coroners, with one senior coroner per coroner area. 
The 2009 Act introduced the new concept of the coroner‟s „investigation‟ into a 
death (which may or may not include an inquest). This recognises that much 
of the coroner‟s work actually takes place before any formal inquest hearing. It 
also allows the coroner to consider whether the duty to hold an inquest 
applies to an individual case, rather than having to open an inquest straight 
away in order to release a body for funeral. This may lead to fewer natural 
cause deaths proceeding to inquest. 
In England and Wales, a coroner has a duty under the 2009 Act to investigate 
a death if: 
1) the coroner is made aware that the body is within that coroner‟s area, and 
2) the coroner has reason to suspect that: 
a) the deceased died a violent or unnatural death; 
b) the cause of the death is unknown; or 
c) the deceased died while in custody or state detention. 
 
The coroner must then establish who has died and how, when, and where 
they died. 
A coroner‟s inquest must be held for all deaths in custody or state detention, 
but a jury is no longer required in all such cases. An inquest must be held with 
a jury where the deceased died while in custody or state detention and the 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 
7
death was violent or unnatural, or of unknown cause; where the death 
resulted from an act or omission of a police officer or member of a service 
police force in the purported execution of their duties; or where the death was 
caused by an accident, poisoning or disease which must be reported to a 
government department or inspector. Jury inquests are no longer required 
where the deceased died in custody but from natural causes. 
Once the post-mortem examination (including any histology or toxicology) has 
concluded, the coroner must decide how to proceed. There are three main 
options: 
 The post-mortem examination reveals that the deceased died of natural 
causes and the coroner thinks that it is not necessary to (investigate or) 
continue the investigation. There will be no inquest. 
 The post-mortem examination reveals that the deceased died of natural 
causes but the coroner considers that it is necessary to (investigate or) 
continue the investigation. The coroner must then hold an inquest. 
 After the post-mortem examination the coroner (still) has reason to suspect 
that the deceased died a violent or unnatural death, or the cause of death 
is unknown, or the deceased died while in custody/state detention. The 
coroner must then hold an inquest. 
Under the 1988 Act the coroner (or jury if applicable) completed an 
„Inquisition‟ form at the end of an inquest, including a „verdict‟ that set out the 
conclusions of the coroner or jury as to who had died and how, when, and 
where they died. 
Under the 2009 Act the „Inquisition‟ form has been replaced by a form entitled 
„Record of an inquest‟. „Verdicts‟ have been replaced with „conclusions‟.  A 
conclusion consists of the legal „determination‟, which states who died, and 
where, when and how they died; and „findings‟ which allow the cause of death 
to be registered. The coroner or jury may use one of the following short form 
conclusions: 
 accident or misadventure 
 alcohol/drug related 
 industrial disease 
 lawful killing 
 unlawful killing 
 natural causes 
 open 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 
8
 road traffic collision 
 stillbirth 
 suicide  
„Alcohol/drug related‟ and „road traffic collision‟ are new terms under the 2009 
Act. These short form inquest conclusions will be presented for the first time in 
the Coroners Statistics 2014 publication, which will be published on 14 May 
2015. 
Under Schedule 1 to the 2009 Act a coroner must suspend an investigation 
(and if an inquest has been opened, adjourn that inquest) in the following 
circumstances: 
 If asked to do so by a prosecuting authority because someone may be 
charged with a homicide or related offence involving the death of the 
deceased (paragraph 1 of Schedule 1); 
 When criminal proceedings have been brought in connection with the 
death (paragraph 2, based on Section 16 of the 1988 Act); 
 Where there is an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005 (paragraph 3, 
based on Section 17A of the 1988 Act); 
 If it appears to the coroner that it would be appropriate to do so (paragraph 
5). 
The post of the coroner of the Queen‟s Household was abolished by the 2009 
Act. The data for this coroner area therefore covers the period 1 January 2013 
to 24 July 2013 only. 
Under the 2009 Act the Chief Coroner is required to produce an annual report 
to the Lord Chancellor. The report will be a statement on the coroner system 
for the previous calendar year. The report must contain an assessment of 
consistency of standards between coroner areas; information about 
investigations that have taken over 12 months to complete; and a summary of 
reports to prevent future deaths and the responses to these (previously known 
as Rule 43 reports). The annual report will be published on the Chief 
Coroner‟s section of the judiciary website. 
Coroners are therefore now required to notify the Chief Coroner of any 
investigation that lasts more than a year and to notify the Chief Coroner of the 
date on which any such investigation was subsequently concluded. 
For further background information on coroners and a flow-chart detailing the 
possible outcomes involved when a death is reported to a coroner, please 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 
9
refer to „A Guide to Court and Administrative Justice Statistics‟, which is 
available at: 
www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-court-and-administrative-
justice-statistics  
A Glossary providing brief definitions for some of the terms used in this 
bulletin can also be found at the link above. 
All deaths in England and Wales must be registered with the Registrar of 
Births and Deaths. For those deaths where a coroner conducts an inquest, the 
death will be registered at the conclusion of the inquest, and the cause of 
death classified according to the conclusion recorded by the coroner.  
Statistics on registered deaths in England and Wales are published by the 
Office for National Statistics (ONS) in their series on mortality statistics. These 
can be accessed from the ONS website at:  
www.ons.gov.uk/ons/taxonomy/index.html?nscl=Mortality+Rates  
For summaries of monthly figures please see: 
www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob2/monthly-figures-on-deaths-registered-by-area-
of-usual-residence--england-and-wales/index.html 
The Ministry of Justice's coroner statistics differ from ONS figures because 
they count two different, albeit related, events. The Ministry of Justice‟s 
coroner statistics provide the number of deaths which are reported to coroners 
in England and Wales. These include deaths reported to coroners which 
occurred outside England and Wales. The ONS‟ mortality statistics, based on 
death registrations, report the number of deaths registered (irrespective of 
whether a coroner has investigated) in England and Wales in a particular 
year, and therefore do not include deaths that occurred outside England and 
Wales. 
The proportion of deaths which are reported to coroners has been estimated3 
using death registration figures published by ONS. Estimates for 2013 have 
been calculated using ONS' monthly provisional figures on death registrations, 
while percentages for 2012 and earlier years have been calculated using final 
annual death registration figures for the relevant year. 
This publication includes figures for deaths which occurred in state custody.  
Statistics on deaths in prison custody are also published by NOMS, 
accessible via the following link: 
                                            
3 Statistics on the number of registered deaths in England and Wales are published by the 
Office for National Statistics. A final figure for the total number of registered deaths in 2013 
has not yet been published, so a provisional figure from ONS, derived from the monthly 
figures for death registrations in England and Wales, has been used. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 10 
www.gov.uk/government/collections/safety-in-custody-statistics 
The figures for deaths in custody in this publication relate only to those deaths 
which have been reported to a coroner and then reported to MoJ, whereas the 
NOMS publication includes all deaths which have occurred in prison custody 
and those which occurred whilst the offender was released on temporary 
licence (ROTL) for medical reasons.

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 11 
Deaths reported 
The number of deaths reported to coroners in 2013 rose by 263 (less than 
1%) from the previous year, from 227,721 in 2012 to 227,984 during 2013, 
reflecting in part the 1% increase in the number of deaths registered in 
England and Wales. The proportion of registered deaths in the calendar year 
2013 that were reported to coroners in 2013 was an estimated 45%, slightly 
less than the 46% reported in 2012. This percentage has shown a slight 
downward trend over the last few years. 
Map 1 below shows deaths reported in each coroner area in 2013 as a 
percentage of the population4. 
 
                                            
4 Population figures are produced by the Office for National Statistics. Figures for 2013 have 
not yet been published; mid-2012 population estimates produced by the ONS have therefore 
been used. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 12 
0
50,000
100,000
150,000
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Number of deaths
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Registered deaths reported to coroners
Registered deaths not reported to coroners
Percentage of registered deaths reported to coroners
 
Over the last decade, the number of registered deaths in England and Wales 
has decreased from 539,151 in 2003 to 506,7405 in 2013; however the 
number has fluctuated in recent years. The number of deaths reported to 
coroners has stayed within the range of 222,371 and 234,784 over the last ten 
years, varying between 42% and 47% of registered deaths (see Table 2). 
                                            
5 Provisional figure based on ONS monthly death registration figures for 2013 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 13 
Post-mortem examinations held and inquests opened 
The actual number of deaths reported to coroners in 2013 where a post-
mortem was held was 94,455, which is 359 less than in the previous year. 
Post-mortem examinations were ordered by coroners in 41% of all cases 
reported to them in 2013, consistent with the existing downward trend (see 
Table 3). Over the last ten years the proportion of post-mortems ordered has 
decreased by 12 percentage points, from 53% to 41%. 
 
 
 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 14 
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Percentage of deaths reported
Post-mortems as a percentage of deaths reported to coroners
Inquests as a percentage of deaths reported to coroners
 
Inquests were opened on 29,942 deaths reported to coroners in 2013, a 
decrease of 2,600 on 2012. Inquest cases represented 13% of all the deaths 
reported to coroners in 2013, a small decrease. Over the last ten years the 
percentage of inquest cases has been relatively stable. 
There were 128,702 cases reported to coroners where there was neither an 
inquest nor a post-mortem. This type of case has generally been increasing in 
number in recent years (in 2003 there were 106,821 such cases). In addition, 
the percentage of cases where there was neither an inquest nor a post-
mortem examination has increased, as a proportion of all deaths reported to 
coroners, from around 47% in 2003, to 56% in 2013. 
Prior to July 2013, cases were either categorised as „inquest‟ or „non-inquest‟ 
cases. Changes in the way coroners are able to conduct an investigation 
mean that there is now a third category, of „potential inquest‟ cases. This 
means that the coroner is investigating the death, but has not yet decided 
whether it is necessary to hold an inquest. Depending on whether or not the 
coroner deems it necessary to hold an inquest, these cases will all eventually 
end up in either the „inquest‟ or „non-inquest‟ category. As of 31 December 
2013, there were 1,811 potential inquest cases being dealt with by coroners in 
England and Wales where a post-mortem was held, which comprised 94% of 
all potential inquest cases. The remaining 6% did not require a post-mortem. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 15 
When an inquest is held a post-mortem examination has usually been 
conducted. In 2013 the proportion of post-mortems conducted in inquest 
cases was 84%. This is a lower proportion than in the previous year by three 
percentage points, and continues a declining trend over the past decade. 
Historically it was quite rare for an inquest to be held without a post-mortem; 
however, since 1998 this proportion has been gradually increasing. In 2013 
there were 4,721 inquests without a post-mortem, representing 16% of 
inquest cases, compared to only 5% in 2003. 
In the majority (86%) of cases referred to coroners there is no inquest. In 2013 
there were 67,423 non-inquest cases where a post-mortem was held, and the 
percentage of non-inquest cases that required a post-mortem remained at 
34%. This proportion has fallen steadily in the last decade; in 2003 it was 
47%. 
 
 
Note: The bands in this map have been created using quartiles and then set to the nearest 5 percentage 
points. The upper band of 20% has been selected to show the variation in the data. 
 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 16 
Post-mortems can be classed as either standard or non-standard, depending 
on the cost of the examination. A non-standard post-mortem is charged at a 
higher rate than a standard post-mortem and is defined as a post-mortem 
which requires special skills. A non-standard post-mortem could, for example, 
require a paediatric or specialist pathologist. In 2013, 95% of post-mortems 
were ordered at a standard rate, the same proportion as in 2012 (see Table 
4). 
In 2013, 19,086 post-mortems included histology (20% of post-mortems held), 
the same percentage as in 2012. In 2013, 13,285 post-mortems held included 
toxicology (14% of post-mortems held), which was 672 more than in 2012, an 
increase of one percentage point. 
To remove a body of a deceased person out of England and Wales, notice 
must be given to the coroner within whose area the body is lying. When the 
coroner gives permission for the removal of the body an Out of England order 
is issued. 
Coroners issued 5,051 Out of England orders in 2013, compared with 5,030 
issued in 2012. In both years the number of orders issued represented just 
over 2% of the total number of deaths reported to coroners (see Table 5). 
Of the 227,984 deaths reported to coroners in 2013, some 1,815 (less than 
1%) were reports of deaths that had occurred outside England and Wales, the 
same percentage reported in 2012. 
In 2013 a total of 281 deaths were reported to coroners which occurred in 
state custody9; less than 1% of the total number of deaths reported. The 
highest number (155 or 55% of the total) occurred in Prison custody, followed 
by 97 (35%) in Mental Health Act detention centres (see Table 6). 
                                            
6 The fee charged by a pathologist for a standard rate post-mortem is currently £96.80. Non-
standard post-mortems cost £276.90. 
7 Histology in the context of post-mortems is the examination of tissues under a microscope. 
8 Toxicology in the context of post-mortems is the study of body fluids and tissues for the 
detection of drugs. 
9 This data only represents deaths in custody which were referred to a coroner and 
subsequently reported to MoJ in the coroner‟s annual return. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 17 
Inquest conclusions recorded 
Conclusions were recorded at 31,579 inquests in 2013, which was 1,456 more 
than in 2012, continuing the upward trend. The conclusions recorded in 2013 
may relate to cases opened in 2013 or earlier years. The proportion of 
inquests where a conclusion was recorded also increased, from 97% in 2012 
to 98% in 2013. As in previous years the most common conclusions in 2013 
were death from natural causes (8,881, or 28%), and death by accident or 
misadventure (8,166, or 26%). Unclassified conclusions, which include 
narrative conclusions, represented 17% of the total in 2013, and conclusions 
of suicide comprised 12% (see Tables 7 and 9). The proportion of suicide 
conclusions has remained at 12% since 2011. Map 4 shows the percentage of 
suicide conclusions recorded in each coroner area. 
 
Unclassified conclusions saw the largest rise in terms of numbers; an increase 
of 709 (15%) from 4,634 in 2012 to 5,343 in 2013.10 The rise in unclassified 
conclusions is partly due to the increasing use of what are known as „narrative 
                                            
10 An analysis on unclassified conclusions can be found in the Coroners Statistics 2012 
publication (Annex A), available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coroners-statistics  

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 18 
conclusions‟ by some coroners. A narrative conclusion is where, instead of a 
conventional conclusion, at the end of the inquest the coroner records a 
factual record of how and in what circumstances the death occurred. As well 
as narrative conclusions, this category includes short non-standard 
conclusions which a coroner or jury might return when the circumstances do 
not easily fit any of the standard conclusions. 
The unclassified conclusions category also includes any conclusions of 
„Alcohol/Drug related‟ and „Road traffic collision‟ which were recorded by 
coroners in the period July to December 2013.11 
Suicide
12%
Natural causes
28%
Unclassified
17%
All other 
conclusions*
1%
Open
6%
Accident or 
misadventure
26%
Industrial disease
9%
Drug related
2%
 
*Killed unlawfully, Killed lawfully, Attempted or self-induced abortion, Cause of death aggravated by lack 
of care, or self-neglect, Want of attention at birth, Stillborn, Disasters 
Conclusions of death from natural causes have risen steadily over the last two 
decades, and since 2010 this category has comprised the highest number of 
deaths reported. There is a steady and steeper rise in the number of 
unclassified conclusions, and a long-term downward trend in the number of 
conclusions of accidental death. 
There are four main trends regarding the proportion of conclusions recorded 
by coroners over the last decade: 
                                            
11 Please note that next year‟s publication will include the new short-form conclusions (which 
were introduced in July 2013) shown separately. For further information please see the 
Introduction. 
12 Figures may not equal 100% due to rounding. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 19 
 conclusions of death from natural causes have risen steadily from 20% in 
2003 to 28% in 2013; 
 unclassified conclusions (which include narratives, as explained above) 
formed 4% of the total in 2003, but have since risen steadily to account for 
over 17% of conclusions in 2013; 
 conclusions of death by accident or misadventure have been declining 
steadily, from 40% of conclusions in 2003 to 26% in 2013; 
 open conclusions have been declining over the same period, particularly 
over the last few years, they accounted for just over 6% of the total in 2013 
compared with 11% in 2003. 
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Number of conclusions
Deaths by accident or misadventure
Suicide
Deaths from natural causes
Unclassified
All other conclusions*
 
*Killed unlawfully, Killed lawfully, Attempted or self-induced abortion, Cause of death aggravated by lack 
of care, or self-neglect, Want of attention at birth, Stillborn, Disasters, Dependence on drugs, Non-
dependent abuse of drugs, Open. 
The pattern of conclusions differs between males and females. Male deaths 
accounted for about 67% of all conclusions recorded in 2013, however they 
accounted for 54% of deaths reported; suggesting males are more likely to die 
in circumstances that lead to an inquest. Female deaths accounted for about 
33% of all conclusions recorded in 2013 (and 46% of deaths reported).  
 Of the 3,754 conclusions of suicide, 80% were for males and 20% for 
females; 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 20 
 Of the 1,920 open conclusions, 71% were for males and 29% for females; 
and 
 38% of the 8,881 conclusions of death from natural causes were for 
females, the remaining 62% were for males. 
61%
80%
92%
62%
82%
71%
62%
67%
39%
20%
8%
38%
18%
29%
38%
33%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Accident or
misadventure
Suicide
Industrial
disease
Natural
causes
Drug-related
Open
All other
conclusions
Total
conclusions
Percent of conclusions
Males %
Females %
 
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Accident or
misadventure
Suicide
Industrial
disease
Natural causes
Drug-related
Open
All other
conclusions
Percent of conclusions
Males
Females
 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 21 
Since 2008, coroners have been asked to provide information (in summary 
form) on the ages of persons whose deaths proceeded to inquest and a 
conclusion recorded during the year. Of the inquests completed in 2013, 49% 
were on persons who were aged 65 years or over at death. Less than 8% of 
inquests concluded were into deaths of persons aged under 25 (see Table 8). 
Although an age breakdown of registered deaths in England and Wales in 
2013 is not yet available, ONS figures for 2012 show that 84% of registered 
deaths in England and Wales were persons aged 65 or over, with only 1% 
aged under 25 years old. 
45 to 64 years
65 years and over
15 to 24 years
Under 1 year
1 to 14 years
25 to 44 years
 
The number of inquests held with juries in 2013 was 456 (representing just 
1% of all inquests), and a decrease of 16 compared to 2012. Both the number 
and proportion of inquests held with juries showed a downward trend until 
recent years but the trend appears now to have stabilised, with the proportion 
remaining between 1% and 2% for the last five years (see Table 10). 
In 2013, 728 inquests (representing 2% of all inquests concluded) were 
adjourned (and not resumed) by the coroner under Schedule 113 of the 
Coroners and Justice Act 2009 because criminal proceedings took place. This 
is slightly less than the proportion of adjourned inquests in recent years, which 
had remained at around 3% since 2006. 
                                            
13 Schedule 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 states that the coroner should adjourn an 
inquest in the event that criminal proceedings may or will take place. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 22 
The estimated14 average time taken to process an inquest in 2013 (defined as 
being from the date the death was reported until the conclusion of the inquest) 
was 28 weeks, which is an increase from the 2012 average of 26 weeks (see 
Table 10). Only deaths occurring within England and Wales are included in 
this estimation. Over the last five years, the average time has remained in the 
range 26 to 28 weeks. More information about how the average time has been 
estimated can be found in the Explanatory Notes section. 
The maximum average time taken to process an inquest in 2013 was 50 
weeks, and the minimum average time was 9 weeks. The average time taken 
has a relatively large range of 41 weeks, which could be due to the fact that 
coroners‟ caseloads can vary greatly and a direct comparison is therefore not 
advised. 
 
                                            
14 A direct average of the time taken to process an inquest cannot be calculated from the 
summary data collected; an estimate has been made instead.  Please see Explanatory Notes 
for more information. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 23 
Treasure and Treasure Trove 
On 24 September 1997, the Treasure Act 1996 came into force and replaced 
the common law of Treasure Trove in England and Wales. The 1996 Act 
introduced new requirements for reporting and dealing with finds. Not all finds 
need be the subject of an inquest. For more information please see: 
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/24/contents 
In 2013, 789 finds were reported and 362 inquests were concluded, from 
which a verdict declaring a find to be treasure was returned in 337 cases (see 
Table 11). There were 4 inquests held into Treasure Trove in 2013 (relating to 
finds made before the current Act came into force), and it is likely that a few 
such inquests will continue to be held from time to time. 
The number of finds reported has been steadily increasing over the last ten 
years, and in 2013 there was a slight increase of 5% compared to 2012. 
There were 337 verdicts of treasure in 2013, exactly the same as the number 
recorded in 2012. The proportion of treasure inquests which resulted in a 
verdict of treasure dropped from 95% in 2012 to 93% in 2013. 
An annual report on the operation of the Treasure Act 1996 is published by 
the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. For more information please 
see: 
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-culture-media-
sport/series/treasure-and-portable-antiquities-statistics 
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Number of finds or inquests
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Proportion of inquests resulting in treasure verdict
Number of finds reported
Number of inquests held
Proportion of treasure verdicts returned
 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 24 
 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 25 
 
 
Key to coroner areas 
North East 
101 – County Durham and Darlington 
103 – Hartlepool  
104 – North Northumberland 
105 – South Northumberland 
106 – Teesside 
107 – Gateshead and South Tyneside 
108 – Newcastle upon Tyne 
109 – North Tyneside 
110 – Sunderland 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 26 
North West 
201 – Cheshire 
203 – South and East Cumbria 
204 – North and West Cumbria 
205 – Manchester (city) 
206 – Manchester North 
207 – Manchester South  
208 – Manchester West 
209 – Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley 
210 – Blackpool and Fylde 
211 – East Lancashire 
212 – Preston and West Lancashire 
213 – Sefton, Knowsley and St Helens 
214 – Liverpool 
215 – Wirral 
 
Yorkshire and the Humber 
301 – East Riding and Hull 
302 – North Lincolnshire and Grimsby 
303 – York City 
304 – North Yorkshire - East 
305 – North Yorkshire - West 
306 – South Yorkshire - East 
307 – South Yorkshire - West 
308 – West Yorkshire - East 
309 – West Yorkshire - West 
 
East Midlands 
401 – Derby and Derbyshire 
403 – Leicester and South Leicestershire 
404 – North Leicestershire and Rutland 
406 – Central Lincolnshire 
408 – South Lincolnshire 
409 – Northamptonshire 
410 – Nottinghamshire 
 
West Midlands 
501 – Herefordshire 
502 – Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 
504 – Staffordshire South 
505 – Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire 
507 – Warwickshire 
508 – Birmingham and Solihull 
509 – Black Country 
510 – Coventry 
512 – Worcestershire 
 
East of England 
601 – Bedfordshire and Luton  
602 – North and East Cambridgeshire 
603 – South and West Cambridgeshire 
604 – Essex 
605 – Hertfordshire 
607 – Norfolk 
609 – Peterborough 
611 – Suffolk 
 
 
 
London 
701 – City of London [not visible] 
702 – East London 
703 – Inner London North 
704 – Inner London South 
705 – Inner London West 
706 – North London 
707 – South London 
708 – West London 
 
South East 
801 – Berkshire 
802 – Brighton and Hove 
803 – Buckinghamshire 
804 – East Sussex 
805 – Central Hampshire 
806 – North East Hampshire 
807 – Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 
808 – Southampton and New Forest 
809 – Isle of Wight 
810 – Central and South East Kent 
811 – Mid Kent and Medway 
812 – North East Kent 
813 – North West Kent 
814 – Milton Keynes 
815 – Oxfordshire 
816 – Surrey 
817 – West Sussex 
 
South West 
901 – Avon 
902 – Cornwall 
903 – Exeter and Greater Devon 
904 – Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon 
906 – Dorset 
908 – Gloucestershire 
909 – Isles of Scilly 
910 – Eastern Somerset 
911 – Western Somerset 
912 – Wiltshire and Swindon 
 
Wales 
1001 – Powys, Bridgend and Glamorgan 
Valleys 
1002 – Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan 
1003 – Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire 
1004 – North Wales (East and Central) 
1005 – Ceredigion 
1006 – Gwent 
1007 – Swansea and Neath Port Talbot 
1009 – North West Wales

27 
Date 
effective
County
Previous coroner areas
New coroner area
Nature of 
merge
01-Jan-13 Denbighshire
Central North Wales; North East 
Wales
North Wales (East and 
Central)
2 into 1
Wales
Carmarthenshire; Pembrokeshire
Carmarthenshire and 
Pembrokeshire
2 into 1
Durham
Darlington and South Durham; North 
Durham
County Durham and 
Darlington
2 into 1
Derbyshire
Derby and South Derbyshire; North 
Derbyshire
Derby and Derbyshire
2 into 1
Dorset
Bournemouth, Poole and Eastern 
Dorset; Western Dorset
Dorset
2 into 1
Essex
Essex and Thurrock; Southend-on-
Sea
Essex
2 into 1
Devon
Plymouth and South West Devon; 
Torbay and South Devon
Plymouth, Torbay and South 
Devon
2 into 1
Shropshire
Mid and North Shropshire; South 
Shropshire; Telford & Wrekin
Shropshire, Telford and 
Wrekin
3 into 1
Wales
Bridgend and Glamorgan Valleys; 
Powys
Powys, Bridgend and 
Glamorgan Valleys
2 into 1
Wales
Neath and Port Talbot; City and 
County of Swansea
Swansea and Neath Port 
Talbot
2 into 1
26-Jul-13
 
The number of deaths reported to coroners in 2013 varied within the range 
of 8 (Isles of Scilly) to 6,373 (Essex). In addition to Essex, over 6,000 
deaths were also reported in the Nottinghamshire coroner area (6,252). 
12
30
30
16
7
1
2
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Under 1000 1000-2000
2000-3000
xx-xxxx-xxxx
xx-xxxx-xxxx
5000-6000
6000+
Number of coroner areas
 
                                            
15 Data for the City of London has been excluded from this analysis due to the small size of 
this coroner area. The total number of coroner areas shown in Figures C1 and C2 is 
therefore 98. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 28 
The number of deaths reported to coroners in 2013 as a proportion of 
registered deaths varied within the range 20% (South Northumberland) to 
over 99% (Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley). 
4
31
36
16
6
1
3
1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Less than
30%
30% - 40%
40% - 50%
50% - 60%
60% - 70%
70% - 80%
80% - 90%
90% - 100%
Number of coroner areas
 
                                            
16 Provisional figure based on ONS monthly death registration figures for 2013 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 29 
Explanatory notes 
The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as 
National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration 
Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for 
Official Statistics. 
Designation can be broadly interpreted to mean that the statistics: 
 meet identified user needs; 
 are well explained and readily accessible; 
 are produced according to sound methods, and 
 are managed impartially and objectively in the public interest. 
Once statistics have been designated as National Statistics it is a statutory 
requirement that the Code of Practice shall continue to be observed. 
The data analysed in this publication are based on annual returns from 
coroners. Thanks are due to coroners and their staff for their work in 
preparing these returns. 
The figures presented in this report are collected via statistical returns 
completed by coroners. For the calendar year 2013, returns were received 
from all 100 coroner areas electronically. The process by which coroners 
provide their returns can vary according to the case management system 
they use. Many coroners (97%) use a system provided by an external 
contractor, while other coroners use alternative computer systems or a 
paper-based system. Although care is taken in completing, analysing and 
quality-assuring the data provided on the statistical returns, the figures are, 
of necessity, subject to possible inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale 
collection of this type. Every effort is made, however, to ensure that the 
figures presented in this publication are accurate and complete. 
Returns are individually quality-assured and validated in a process that 
highlights inconsistencies between years, and other areas. Checks are 
made to ensure that each return is arithmetically correct, including with 
subtotals and grand totals correctly summed. Unusual values encountered 
in a return are queried with the data supplier, to confirm whether these are 
correct, or an error in the information provided which requires amendment. 
Coroners are independent office-holders, and there is considerable variation 
in the way each coroner‟s area is structured and managed, and in the 
mechanisms they have in place for discharging their duties under the 
Coroners Act. From a statistical perspective one of these differences relates 
to the way they approach the handling of “NFA” cases. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 30 
Many deaths referred to coroners require no further action being taken by 
them – these are known as “NFA” cases. These are deaths reported to 
coroners where there was no inquest, no post-mortem, and no certificate 
was issued by the coroner for registration or any other purpose. The 
statistics for 1995 onwards include all NFA cases within the figures for 
deaths reported that required neither an inquest nor a post-mortem. Prior to 
1995, however, some coroners did not report some or all of their NFA cases 
in their annual statistics (figures for some earlier years are shown in Table 
2), and the inclusion of all NFA cases in the statistics addressed this 
inconsistency in reporting. 
Despite the inclusion of all NFA cases in the statistics since 1995 however, 
there may still be some differences between coroners as to which cases 
they consider constitute a substantive “reported death” (and are therefore 
reported in their statistics) where little or no action is required on their part 
and no post-mortem or inquest is held. As such, the statistics reflect those 
cases which each individual coroner considers to be a death reported to 
them, and the figures for different coroner areas can be compared on this 
basis. 
The main users of these statistics are coroners themselves, and Ministers 
and officials in central government responsible for developing policy with 
regard to coroners. Other users include the Chief Coroner‟s Office, local 
authorities (who are responsible for the appointment and remuneration of 
coroners), other central government departments, and those non-
governmental bodies, including various voluntary organisations, with an 
interest in coroners and inquests. The statistics are used to monitor the 
volume and types of cases dealt with by coroners in England and Wales 
each year. 
The estimated figure for the number of registered deaths in 2012 which was 
derived for the purposes of Table 2 in last year‟s edition of this bulletin has 
now been replaced by an actual figure subsequently published by the Office 
for National Statistics. Please note that the figure for deaths reported to 
coroners in 2009 in Table 2 has been amended, as the incorrect figure was 
included in the 2012 publication. 
Please also note that the 2012 figures for „No inquest, no post-mortem‟ and 
„Total non-inquest cases, inc. NFA‟ in Table 3 have been corrected to 
include cases where the sex of the deceased was unknown; which were 
missing in the 2012 publication. 
The following symbols have been used throughout the tables in this bulletin: 
n/a    = Not applicable 
- 
= Nil 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 31 
.. 
= Not available 
* 
= Number or percentage not shown due to being based on small 
numbers of cases 
(r)  
= Revised data 
The maps used in this publication are experimental and any feedback would 
be welcomed. The categories used in each map have been created using 
rounded quartiles. 
Prior to 1 June 2005, policy responsibility for coroners lay with the Home 
Office, but on that date it passed to the Department for Constitutional Affairs 
as part of machinery of government changes following the 2005 general 
election. Responsibility now lies with the Ministry of Justice, which was 
created on 9 May 2007. 
Prior to the transfer of responsibility, the Home Office published statistical 
bulletins based on coroners‟ annual returns, from 1980. The last four 
bulletins published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin series were as 
follows: for year 2003, bulletin 9/04; for 2002, bulletin 6/03; for 2001, bulletin 
3/02; and for year 2000, bulletin 7/01. These may be found at: 
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110218135832/http://rds.home
office.gov.uk/rds/hosbarchive.html 
Editions of this bulletin for years up to and including 2009, published by the 
Ministry of Justice, the Department for Constitutional Affairs, and the Home 
Office, were entitled “Statistics on deaths reported to coroners, England and 
Wales, (year)”. 

Coroners Statistics 2013 
 32 
Contacts 
Current and previous editions of this publication are available for download 
at: 
www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/series/coroners-
and-burials-statistics  
The spreadsheet file of the statistical tables referred to in this bulletin is also 
available for download from this address, along with the CSV file and the 
Coroners Statistical Tool spreadsheet. 
Press enquiries should be directed to the Ministry of Justice press office: 
Tel: xx-xxxx-xxxx 
Email: xxx@xxx.xx  
Other enquiries about these statistics should be directed to: 
Caroline Nauth-Misir 
Ministry of Justice 
7th Floor (7.06) 
102 Petty France 
London 
SW1H 9AJ 
Tel: xx-xxxx-xxxx 
Email: xxx@xxx.xx 
A copy of the data collection form which was sent to coroners may be 
obtained via the contact details above. 
General enquiries about the statistical work of the Ministry of Justice can be 
e-mailed to: xxx@xxx.xx  
Other National Statistics publications, and general information about the 
official statistics system of the UK, are available from www.statistics.gov.uk. 
 
© Crown copyright 
Produced by the Ministry of Justice 
Alternative formats are available on request from 
xxx@xxx.xx