Damages of £5,000 for delay to an Article 2 inquest
The latest decision from across the Irish Sea is a wake-up call for coroners and public authorities managing inquests where Article 2 investigative obligations are engaged.
While this is a decision from a Northern Irish court, the principles could easily apply to both England and Wales.
So, the key message is this: unless there are justifiable reasons for a coroner not bringing a case to an inquest, then damages awards could be made against both the coroner and any other public authority that has contributed to the delay by their own inaction.
To find out more about this long running inquest chronical, head over to Serjeants’ Inn UK Inquest Law Blog where Bridget Dolan QC teases out the key issues in Jordon v The Chief Constable of the PSNI.