Shelving of Coroners reforms would be betrayal of bereaved families, says Legion
29 July 2010
A decision not to implement planned reforms to the coroners system in England and Wales would be a betrayal of bereaved Service families and the Military Covenant, says The Royal British Legion.
The Legion is concerned that the Government is now reviewing the scope and timing of plans to implement the Coroners & Justice Act 2009, whose reforms were passed with cross-party support in both Houses of Parliament and which is due to be implemented in 2011 and 2012.
The Act's improvements to the inquest process for bereaved Service families include:
- mandatory monitoring of military inquests by a new Chief Coroner
- mandatory training for coroners handling military inquests
- new rights to appeal for families
- extension for legal aid to military families for advocacy.
Specific training for coroners would increase the number with the expertise to conduct military inquests and therefore could help to reduce the time it can take for military inquests to come to court.
Lisa Bainbridge, Head of Public Policy at The Royal British Legion, said: "The Legion has fought hard for these improvements over a number of years. We believe the Act will make significant improvements to almost every aspect of the inquest process. It will give bereaved Service families a modern, professional service which would involve them fully in the kind of thorough and transparent investigation required.
"So we are very concerned that these improvements under the Act might be shelved completely or only implemented in part. That would be letting bereaved Service families down."
The Legion has recently launched Independent Inquest Advice, a free legal advice service to support bereaved Service families through the inquest process.
Media enquiries:
Susan Cottam
Public Relations Officer, The Royal British Legion
199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AA
T: 020 3207 2477 M: 07775 017 889 E: scottam@britishlegion.org.uk
