Chief Coroner Appointed

PAPYRUS welcomes the appointment to this key role in England and Wales

Judge Peter Thornton QC, a senior circuit judge at the Old Bailey, has been appointed the first ever chief coroner of England and Wales.

The judge will take up his new office in September 2012. The post was created by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, to develop a national framework of rules and regulations under which coroners will operate.

“The coroner system is of vital importance, both in identifying causes of death and in preventing future deaths,” Judge Peter Thornton said.

“But with any ancient and well-respected system there is room for improvement and development.

“I will aim to provide quality and uniformity in the coroner system, with a national consistency of approach and standards between coroner areas. Openness, inclusiveness, thoroughness and fairness must be at the heart of this process if it is to be effective and serve the needs of the public.”

The Lord Chancellor, Kenneth Clarke, said everyone agreed that the priority was to ensure coroners provided a high standard of service at what could be a difficult time for bereaved families.

“I am therefore giving the chief coroner the full range of powers to drive up standards, including thorough coroner training, and to tackle delays within the system.”

PAPYRUS welcomes this appointment.