A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county . This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.
88-588: West Riding County Council ( WRCC ) was the county council of the administrative county of the West Riding of Yorkshire from 1 April 1889 to 31 March 1974. The council met at County Hall in Wakefield. The county council had jurisdiction over the administrative county of the West Riding and therefore did not include county boroughs which were independent of the county council but associated with
176-621: A leave of absence . The (elected) county mayor should not be confused with the (appointed) county governor . The county council has its roots in Amtsformandskabet created in 1837. Starting in 1964, members of the county councils were appointed by the municipal councils. In 1975, the first general elections were held for the county councils. The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Ireland, although they are now governed under legislation passed by
264-526: A Chief Coroner (or Chief Medical Examiner) and comprise coroners or medical examiners appointed by the executive council . The provinces of Alberta , Manitoba , Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador now have a Medical Examiner system, meaning that all death investigations are conducted by specialist physicians trained in Forensic Pathology , with the assistance of other medical and law enforcement personnel. All other provinces run on
352-517: A cause of death. Some coroners are elected with others appointed. Some coroners hold office by virtue of holding another office. For example, in Nebraska, a county's district attorney is also the county's coroner. Similarly, in many counties in Texas, the justice of the peace may be in charge of death investigation. In yet other places, the sheriff may be the lawful coroner. In different jurisdictions
440-412: A coroner system. In Prince Edward Island , and Ontario , all coroners are, by law, physicians . In the other provinces and territories with a coroner system, namely British Columbia , Saskatchewan , Quebec , New Brunswick , Northwest Territories , Nunavut , and Yukon , coroners are not necessarily physicians but generally have legal, medical, or investigative backgrounds. The Coroner's Court
528-422: A dead body lying in the district of a coroner has a duty to report it to the coroner; failure to do so is an offence. This can include bodies brought into England or Wales . The coroner has a team of coroner's officers (previously often ex-police officers, but increasingly from a nursing or other paramedical background) who carry out the investigation on the coroner's behalf. A coroner's investigation may involve
616-606: A high-profile inquest, such as those into the deaths of Diana, Princess of Wales and the victims of the 2005 London bombings . Coronial services in Northern Ireland are broadly similar to those in England and Wales, including dealing with treasure trove cases under the Treasure Act 1996 . Northern Ireland has three coroners, who oversee the province as a whole. They are assisted by coroners' liaison officers and
704-546: A jury, as a check on the possible abuse of governmental power. Coroners also have a role in treasure cases. This role arose from the ancient duty of the coroner as a protector of the property of the Crown. It is now contained in the Treasure Act 1996 . This jurisdiction is no longer exercised by local coroners, but by specialist "coroners for treasure" appointed by the Chief Coroner. The coroner's former power to name
792-478: A medical officer. As of 2004 , of the 2,342 death investigation offices in the United States, 1,590 were coroners' offices, 82 of which served jurisdictions of more than 250,000 people. Qualifications for coroners are set by individual states and counties in the U.S. and vary widely. In many jurisdictions, little or no training is required, even though a coroner may overrule a forensic pathologist in naming
880-793: A result of injuries or drugs. Two different death investigation systems have developed in Canada: the Coroner's system and the Medical Examiner's system. The Coroner's system is used in the majority of provinces and territories. It is a system that is centuries old and originated in Great Britain. It is found throughout the world in countries that were former British colonies, including Canada. The Medical Examiner's system (used in Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador)
968-472: A result, the status of some of these (mainly) more rural counties changed. Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire became unitary authorities providing all services. Some of these councils have dropped the word "county" from their titles. Bedfordshire and Cheshire county councils were abolished with more than one unitary council established within the boundaries of the abolished council. Other county councils remained unchanged, particularly in
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#17327649085951056-465: A set of questions posed by the coroner to himself or to the jury (as appropriate). Lawful killing includes lawful self-defence . There is no material difference between an accidental death conclusion and one of misadventure. Neglect cannot be a conclusion by itself. It must be part of another conclusion. A conclusion of neglect requires that there was a need for relevant care (such as nourishment, medical attention, shelter or warmth) identified, and there
1144-421: A simple review of the circumstances, ordering a post-mortem examination, or they may decide that an inquest is appropriate. When a person dies in the custody of the legal authorities (in police cells, or in prison ), an inquest must be held. In England, inquests are usually heard without a jury (unless the coroner wants one). However, a case in which a person has died under the control of central authority must have
1232-434: A slightly different division of powers between county and district councils, however. The county and district councils were abolished twenty-two years later, when the present system of principal areas was introduced. A county council is a type of local government that is responsible for providing services to a specific county or region. It is typically composed of elected officials who are responsible for making decisions about
1320-429: A suspect in the inquest conclusion and commit them for trial has been abolished. The coroner's conclusion sometimes is persuasive for the police and Crown Prosecution Service , but normally proceedings in the coroner's court are suspended until after the outcome of any criminal case is known. More usually, a coroner's conclusion is also relied upon in civil proceedings and insurance claims . The coroner commonly tells
1408-469: A system of large regional councils was introduced. Regions were themselves abolished in 1996 and replaced by the current unitary council areas . In Scotland, control of county administration was in the hands of Commissioners of Supply . This was a body of the principal landowners liable to pay land tax, and was unelected. The first elections to Scottish county councils took place in February 1890. Only
1496-578: A unitary authority. County councils were abolished under the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972 in 1973. The only local authorities since that date have been district councils . In Scotland county councils existed from 1890 to 1975. They were created by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889 and reconstituted forty years later by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 . County councils were abolished in 1975 when
1584-506: Is a police officer with technical and scientific knowledge in the service of justice and a professional specialized in finding or providing so-called material evidence through the scientific analysis of traces produced and left in the commission of crimes", what, in case of the Physician-Legists (inserted in the aforementioned career), applies in relation to highly complex federal crimes involving corpses that need to be examined by
1672-475: Is just over one century old and originated in the United States. Although there are some differences between the two systems, the ultimate goal of each is the same—to investigate certain deaths defined in their legislation and establish the identity of the deceased together with the cause of death and the manner of death. In 21st-century Canada the officer responsible for investigating all unnatural and natural unexpected, unexplained, or unattended deaths goes under
1760-485: Is no longer possible. Any medical coroner still in office will either have been appointed before 2013, or, exceptionally, will hold both medical and legal qualifications. Formerly, every justice of the High Court was ex officio a coroner for every district in England and Wales. This is no longer so; there are now no ex officio coroners. A senior judge is sometimes appointed ad hoc as a deputy coroner to undertake
1848-519: Is of affinity with one of the parties to a suit, the coroner must execute and return the process of the courts of justice." This role was qualified in Chapter 24 of Magna Carta in 1215, which states: "No sheriff, constable, coroner or bailiff shall hold pleas of our Crown." "Keeping the pleas" was an administrative task, while "holding the pleas" was a judicial one that was not assigned to the locally resident coroner but left to judges who traveled around
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#17327649085951936-476: Is responsible to inquire into the causes and circumstances of some deaths. The Coroner is a judicial officer who has the power to: The Coroner makes orders after considering the pathologist's report. The Coroners Service is a network of Coroners situated across Ireland, usually covering areas based on Ireland's traditional counties. They are appointed by local authorities as independent experts and must be either qualified doctors or lawyers. Their primary function
2024-520: Is sometimes used in English for regional municipal bodies in other countries. Both Swedish and Norwegian county councils are directly elected by their inhabitants as it is also the case in Romania during local elections. There are some differences between them in responsibilities. Coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into
2112-595: Is supervised by the Chief Coroner , a judge appointed by the Lord Chief Justice after consulting the Lord Chancellor. The Chief Coroner provides advice, guidance and training to coroners and aims to secure uniformity of practice throughout England and Wales. The post is currently part-time. The present Chief Coroner is Alexia Durran . England and Wales are divided into coroner districts by
2200-542: Is to investigate any sudden, unexplained, violent or unnatural death in order to allow a death certificate to be issued. Any death due to unnatural causes will require an inquest to be held. Two coronial services operate in New Zealand. The older one deals only with deaths before midnight of 30 June 2007 that remain under investigation. The new system operates under the Coroners Act 2006 , which: In Sri Lanka,
2288-553: Is traced to at least 44 B.C. with the Greek Physician Antistius's examination of Julius Caesar (Fisher 1993; Gawande 2001). The history of the office of coroner extends well over a millennium and has seen major evolution etc." ( Coroner and Medical Examiner in Handbook of Death and Dying ed. by Clifton D. Bryant. V. 1, p. 909. 2003.) Australian coroners are responsible for investigating and determining
2376-604: The Greater London Council . Greater London was declared to be an "area" and not to lie in any county. In addition two pairs of administrative counties were merged to become Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely and Huntingdon and Peterborough under recommendations made by the Local Government Commission for England . The Local Government Act 1972 completely reorganised local authorities in England and Wales. County boroughs were abolished and
2464-623: The Irish War of Independence . The Irish Free State inherited the local authorities created by the United Kingdom legislation. The first elections after independence were held on 23 June 1925, following amendments by the Local Government Act 1925 . The act abolished rural district councils (except in County Dublin ) and passed their powers to the county councils. At the following election all county councils were to be increased:
2552-454: The Local Government Act 1958 recommended a reduction in the number of county councils in Wales and Monmouthshire from thirteen to seven, but reform did not take place until 1974. From 1 April 1974 the number of counties and county councils was reduced to eight in number. Like the county councils introduced in England at the same time, the whole council was elected every four years. There was
2640-521: The Local Government Reform Act 2014 , the number of county councils was again reduced: a merger of North Tipperary and South Tipperary County Councils created a single Tipperary County Council ; and the city and county councils of Limerick and Waterford were merged to create Limerick City and County Council and Waterford City and County Council . In Taiwan, a county council is the legislative body of each county . Members of
2728-472: The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 . Following invitations from central government in 2007, a number of county councils and their associated districts examined ways in which local government provision could be rationalised, mainly in the form of abolishing the existing county and district councils and establishing one-tier authorities for all or parts of these existing counties. As
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2816-702: The Ministry of Justice appoints Inquirers into Sudden Deaths under the Code of Criminal Procedure to carry out an inquest into the death of a sudden, unexpected and suspicious nature. Some large cities such as Colombo and Kandy have a City Coroners' Court attached to the main city hospital, with a Coroner and Additional Coroner. In the United Kingdom a coroner is a specialist judge. Whilst coroners are appointed and paid by local authorities , they are not employees of those local authorities but rather independent judicial office holders who can be removed from office only by
2904-472: The Oireachtas , with the principal act being the Local Government Act 2001 . The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 introduced county councils to Ireland, with a lower tier of governance of urban and rural districts . The administrative and financial business carried by county grand juries and county at large presentment sessions were transferred to the new councils. Principal among these duties were
2992-451: The metropolitan boroughs and joint boards. The Local Government Act 1992 established a new Local Government Commission whose remit was to conduct a review of the structure of local administration, and the introduction of unitary authorities where appropriate. Accordingly, the number of county councils was reduced: Avon , Berkshire, Cleveland , Hereford and Worcester and Humberside were abolished, while Worcestershire County Council
3080-456: The politics of the United Kingdom , or its predecessor or constituent states, is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . County council In Norway, a county council ( Norwegian : Fylkesting ) is the highest governing body of a county municipality ( fylkeskommune ). The county council sets the scope of the county municipal activity. The council is led by the Chairman of
3168-477: The procurator fiscal and dealt with by fatal accident inquiries conducted by the sheriff for the area. The coroner's jurisdiction is limited to determining who the deceased was and how, when and where they came by their death. When the death is suspected to have been either sudden with unknown cause, violent, or unnatural, the coroner decides whether to hold a post-mortem examination and, if necessary, an inquest . The majority of deaths are not investigated by
3256-465: The 1990s they also ran colleges of further education and the careers services. That decade also saw the privatisation of some traditional services, such as highway maintenance, cleaning and school meals. County councils were created by the Local Government Act 1888 ( 51 & 52 Vict. c. 41), largely taking over the administrative functions of the unelected county courts of quarter sessions . County councils consisted of councillors, directly elected by
3344-522: The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) with at least five years' qualified experience. This reflects the role of a coroner: to determine the cause of death of a deceased in cases where the death was sudden, unexpected, occurred abroad, was suspicious in any way, or happened while the person was under the control of central authority (e.g., in police custody ). Until 2013 a qualified medical practitioner could be appointed, but that
3432-464: The County Council, more commonly called a County Mayor ( fylkesordfører ). Members of the council are elected for a four-year term through the general local elections , which can extended for a second four-year term. It is common for members of a county council to also hold seats in municipal councils, but very rare that they also hold legislative ( Storting ) or other government office, without
3520-706: The Forensic Medicine and Dentistry Sector linked to the National Institute of Criminalistics. Throughout the federative units , the Civil Polices (in Federal District and other 8 States ) or Scientific Polices (in all other 18 States) disposes of their own Legal-Medical Institutes (mainly responsible for confirming the authorship, dynamics and materiality of offenses involving living beings or their respective corpses) and, with
3608-596: The Liberal party won overall control of the council at successive county council elections, dominating the council from 1889 to 1914. Liberal domination of the council however was peppered with several years of no overall control; in 1903 and after 1912. At no point did the Liberals lose their administrative control of the council, and in the years it lacked an overall majority it relied on support from Independent and Liberal Unionist councilors. This article related to
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3696-414: The Lord Chancellor, each district consisting of the area or areas of one or more local authorities. The relevant local authority, with the consent of the Chief Coroner and the Lord Chancellor, must appoint a senior coroner for the district. It must also appoint area coroners (in effect deputies to the senior coroner) and assistant coroners, to the number that the Lord Chancellor considers necessary in view of
3784-676: The Lord Chief Justice and the Lord Chancellor. The Ministry of Justice , which is headed by the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice , is responsible for coronial law and policy. However it has no operational responsibility for the running of coroners' courts. There are separate coroners services for England and Wales and for Northern Ireland . There are no longer coroners in Scotland. Coroners existed in Scotland between about 1400 and 1800 when they ceased to be used. Now deaths requiring judicial examination are reported to
3872-570: The Scottish county councils were completely reconstituted. Their powers were increased in small burghs . On the other hand, large burghs became independent of the county for most purposes. The district committees created in 1890 were abolished and replaced by district councils, partly consisting of county councillors and partly of directly elected district councillors. Two joint county councils were created, for Perthshire and Kinross-shire and Moray and Nairnshire . The county councils also gained
3960-508: The U.S., the coroner has the authority to arrest the county sheriff or assume their duties under certain circumstances. For example, in Indiana, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky, Ohio, Alabama, and North Carolina, statutes grant coroners these powers, serving as a check on the sheriff's authority. In Ohio, the coroner can assume the sheriff’s duties if the sheriff is incapacitated or otherwise unable to act. Duties always include determining
4048-439: The aldermen took place every three years thereafter. The areas over which the councils had authority were designated as administrative counties . The writ of the county councils did not extend everywhere: large towns and some historic counties corporate were constituted county boroughs by the same act. County borough councils were independent of the council for the county in which they were geographically situated, and exercised
4136-625: The case of medical examiners , such activity has always been privative to physicians , but necessarily policeful , reason why its common denomination, Médicos-Legistas (Physician-Legists), is due to such bionicity. In the Department of Federal Police , according to the National Association of Federal Forensic Experts ( Associação Nacional dos Peritos Criminais Federais – APCF ), "the Federal Forensic Expert
4224-485: The cause is unknown, where a death is the result of poisoning or industrial injury, or if it occurred in police custody or prison. The coroner's court is a court of law , and accordingly the coroner may summon witnesses. Those found to be lying are guilty of perjury . Additional powers of the coroner may include the power of subpoena and attachment , the power of arrest , the power to administer oaths , and sequester juries of six during inquests. Any person aware of
4312-491: The cause of death for those cases reported to them. In all states and territories, a coroner is a magistrate with legal training, and is attached to a local court. Five states – New South Wales , Queensland , South Australia , Victoria and Western Australia – also have state coroners and specialised coronial courts. In Tasmania , the Chief Magistrate also acts as the state coroner. In Brazil, almost like in
4400-440: The cause of death personally, or may act as the presiding officer of a special court (a " coroner's jury "). The term coroner derives from the same source as the word crown . Responsibilities of the coroner may include overseeing the investigation and certification of deaths related to mass disasters that occur within the coroner's jurisdiction. A coroner's office typically maintains death records of those who have died within
4488-449: The cause, time and manner of death. The coroner/ME typically uses the same investigatory skills of a police detective because the answers are available from the circumstances, scene, and recent medical records. Many American jurisdictions require that any death not certified by an attending physician be referred to the medical examiner for the location where the death occurred. Only a small percentage of deaths require an autopsy to determine
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#17327649085954576-463: The control of the Parliament of Northern Ireland , who quickly introduced the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1922 , abolishing proportional representation. Electoral districts were redrawn, and a property qualification for voters ( Plural voting ) introduced, ensuring Unionist controlled councils in counties with Nationalist majorities. In 1968 Fermanagh County Council was reconstituted as
4664-672: The coroner's jurisdiction. The additional roles that a coroner may oversee in judicial investigations may be subject to the attainment of suitable legal and medical qualifications. The qualifications required of a coroner vary significantly between jurisdictions and are described below under the entry for each jurisdiction. Coroners, medical examiners and forensic pathologists are different professions. They have different roles and responsibilities. The office of coroner originated in medieval England and has been adopted in many countries whose legal systems have at some time been subject to English or United Kingdom law . In Middle English,
4752-420: The coroner. If the deceased has been under medical care, or has been seen by a doctor within 14 days of death, then the doctor can issue a death certificate. However, if the deceased died without being seen by a doctor, or if the doctor is unwilling to make a determination, the coroner will investigate the cause and manner of death. The coroner will also investigate when a death is deemed violent or unnatural, where
4840-519: The council "to any body or persons or person he shall think fit". The power was widely used by ministers of all parties. For example, Kerry County Council was dissolved from 1930 to 1932, and from 1945 to 1948, with commissioners appointed to perform the council's function. The number of county councils was increased from 27 to 29 in 1994 when County Dublin was split under the Local Government (Dublin) Act 1993 into three new counties: Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown , Fingal and South Dublin . In 2014, under
4928-449: The councillors for the "landward" part of the county were elected however. The remainder of the council were co-opted by the town councils of the burghs in the county. Scottish county councils also differed from those in England and Wales as they were required to divide their county into districts. A district committee of the county councillors elected for the area were an independent local council for some administrative purposes. In 1930
5016-543: The councils are elected through local elections held every 4 years. The Outline for Implementing Local Autonomy for Cities and Counties was promulgated in April 1950. County councils were established in 1951. In 1999 the Local Government Act was enacted. As stipulated in the Act, duties of the county councils include approving the county budget, levying local taxes and enacting local ordinances. County councils were formed in
5104-404: The country holding assize courts . The role of custos rotulorum or keeper of the county records became an independent office, which after 1836 was held by the lord-lieutenant of each county. The person who found a body from a death thought sudden or unnatural was required to raise the " hue and cry " and to notify the coroner. While coronial manuals written for sheriffs, bailiffs, justices of
5192-472: The county for other purposes. At the time of its formation in 1889 there were six county boroughs; Bradford , Halifax , Huddersfield , Leeds , Sheffield and York . The administrative county was reduced when the county boroughs of Rotherham (1902), Barnsley (1913), Dewsbury (1913), Wakefield (1915) and Doncaster (1927) were formed. The county council consisted of elected councillors and co-opted county aldermen. The entire body of county councillors
5280-447: The county's budget, infrastructure, and services. County councils are responsible for providing services such as education, health care, public safety, transportation, and social services. They also have the power to levy taxes and fees to fund these services. County councils are typically responsible for maintaining roads, bridges, and other infrastructure within their county. They also have the power to pass laws and regulations that affect
5368-582: The county. County councils are typically responsible for providing services to their constituents, such as libraries, parks, and other recreational facilities. County councils are also responsible for providing services to the elderly, disabled, and other vulnerable populations. County councils are typically responsible for providing services to the environment, such as water and air quality, and for protecting natural resources. County councils are also responsible for providing services to businesses, such as economic development and job training. The term county council
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#17327649085955456-609: The deceased was entrusted to the coronator , that is to a necrofor who prepared the corpse according to custom and, among other things, put a small laurel or myrtle wreath (Lat. corona or serta ) on his head so that he might be accepted in glory in the afterlife. The use was already of ancient Greece and see e. g. Theophilus Christophorus Harles ( Bionis smyrnaei and Moschi syracusani quae supersunt etc. P. 40. Erlangen, 1780), who quotes Euripides, Clement of Alexandria, Chionus of Heraclea and others in this regard; see also James Claude Upshaw Downs: "The origin of official death investigation
5544-538: The duties of the abolished education authorities. Since 1996 Wales has been divided into unitary principal areas . Principal councils were designated by the legislation that created them as either "county councils" or "county borough councils". County and county borough councils have identical powers. Prior to 1996 local government in Wales was similar to that in England. Thus the county councils introduced in 1889 were identical to their English counterparts. The Local Government Commission for Wales appointed under
5632-530: The electorate; and county aldermen , chosen by the council itself. There was one county alderman for every three councillors (one for every six in the London County Council ). The first elections to the councils were held at various dates in January 1889, and they served as "provisional" or shadow councils until 1 April, when they came into their powers. Elections of all councillors and half of
5720-440: The exception of Paraná , the Physician-Legists constitute a police career of their own. According to Statistics Canada , Death investigation is the responsibility of each individual Canadian province and territory—there is no overarching federal authority. As a result, each province and territory has developed their own system and legislation to fulfill the mandate of investigating deaths that are unexpected, unexplained, or as
5808-511: The first business of their inaugural meetings being the appointment of additional members. The triennial elections were postponed in 1914 on the outbreak of World War I . The Local Government (Ireland) Act 1919 introduced proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote to county councils, elected from multi-member electoral areas. Only one election was under the new system before independence, held in January 1920 (in urban areas) and on 2 June 1920 (in rural areas), during
5896-558: The functions of both county and district councils. The new system was a major modernisation, which reflected the increasing range of functions carried out by local government in late Victorian Britain . A major accretion of powers took place when education was added to county council responsibilities in 1902. County councils were responsible for more strategic services in a region, with (from 1894) smaller urban district councils and rural district councils responsible for other activities. The Local Government Act 1929 considerably increased
5984-432: The heavily populated parts of England such as the south-east. Further minor local government reforms took place in 2019–20, which led to Dorset and Buckinghamshire also becoming unitary authorities providing all services. County councils existed in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1973. Following partition, six administrative counties remained within the United Kingdom as part of Northern Ireland . Local government came under
6072-413: The jury which conclusions are lawfully available in a particular case. The most common short-form conclusions include: Alternatively, an inquest may return a narrative conclusion , a brief statement explaining the circumstances how the person came about their death. A coroner giving a narrative conclusion may choose to refer to the other conclusion. A narrative conclusion may also consist of answers to
6160-460: The late 19th century. In the various constituent countries of the United Kingdom councils had different powers and different memberships. Following local government reforms in the 1970s, county councils no longer exist in Scotland or Northern Ireland. In England they generally form the top level in a two-tier system of administration; in Wales they are unitary authorities. In England county councils were introduced in 1889, and reformed in 1974. Since
6248-432: The maintenance of highways and bridges, the upkeep and inspection of lunatic asylums and the appointment of coroners . The new bodies also took over some duties from poor law boards of guardians in relation to diseases of cattle and from the justices of the peace to regulate explosives. The Irish county councils differed in constitution from those in Great Britain. Most of the council was directly elected: each county
6336-421: The manner or cause of death . The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within the coroner's jurisdiction. In medieval times, English coroners were Crown officials who held financial powers and conducted some judicial investigations in order to counterbalance the power of sheriffs or bailiffs . Depending on the jurisdiction, the coroner may adjudge
6424-451: The medical examiner does not need any medical or educational qualifications. Not all U.S. jurisdictions use a coroner system for medicolegal death investigation—some operate with only a medical examiner system, while others operate on a mixed coroner–medical examiner system. In the U.S., the terms "coroner" and "medical examiner" vary widely in meaning by jurisdiction, as do qualifications and duties for these offices. Advocates have promoted
6512-442: The medical examiner model as more accurate given the more stringent qualifications. Local laws define the deaths a coroner must investigate. The most often legally required investigation is for sudden or unexpected deaths, in addition to deaths where no attending physician was present. Additionally, the law often requires investigations for deaths that are suspicious (as defined by jurisdiction) or violent. In several states across
6600-427: The mid-1990s a series of local government reorganisations has reduced the number of county councils as unitary authorities have been established in a number of areas. County councils are very large employers with a great variety of functions including education (schools and youth services), social services, highways, fire and rescue services, libraries, waste disposal, consumer services and town and country planning. Until
6688-466: The number of extra councillors was to be twice the number of abolished rural districts. The act set out the powers and duties of county councils and also gave the Minister for Local Government the power to dissolve councils if he was satisfied that "the duties of a local council are not being duly and effectually discharged". He could order new elections to be held, or transfer the power and properties of
6776-400: The office of custos placitorum coronae ( Latin for "keeper of the pleas of the Crown"), from which the word "coroner" is derived. This role provided a local county official whose primary duty was to protect the financial interest of the Crown in criminal proceedings. The office of coroner is, "in many instances, a necessary substitute: for if the sheriff is interested in a suit, or if he
6864-469: The peace and coroners were published in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, handbooks specifically written for coroners were distributed in England in the eighteenth century. Coroners were introduced into Wales following its military conquest by Edward I of England in 1282 through the Statute of Rhuddlan in 1284. Going further back in time, we find that the term comes from antiquity, namely when
6952-464: The physical character and population of the district. The cost of the coroner service for the district falls upon the local authority or authorities concerned, and thus ultimately upon the local inhabitants. There are 98 coroners in England and Wales, covering 109 local authority areas. To become a coroner in England and Wales the applicant must be a qualified solicitor , barrister , or a Fellow of
7040-543: The powers of county councils. Primarily, the Boards of Guardians were abolished: workhouses were taken over by the county councils as public assistance institutions, and county councils also assumed responsibility for former poor law infirmaries, and fever hospitals. County councils also took charge of highways in rural districts. In 1965 there was a reduction in the number of county councils. The London Government Act 1963 abolished those of London and Middlesex and created
7128-465: The terms "coroner" and " medical examiner " are defined differently. In some places, stringent rules require that the medical examiner be a forensic pathologist. In others, the medical examiner must be a physician, though not necessarily a pathologist nor further specialized forensic pathologist; physicians with no experience in forensic medicine have become medical examiners. In other jurisdictions, such as Wisconsin, each county sets standards, and in some,
7216-476: The title "coroner" or "medical examiner" depending on location. They do not determine civil or criminal responsibility, but instead make and offer recommendations to improve public safety and prevention of death in similar circumstances. Coroner or Medical Examiner services are under the jurisdiction of provincial or territorial governments, and in modern Canada generally operate within the public safety and security or justice portfolio. These services are headed by
7304-447: The whole of England (apart from Greater London ) was placed in a two-tier arrangement with county councils and district councils. In the six largest conurbations metropolitan county councils, with increased powers, were created. The post of county alderman was abolished, and the entire council was thereafter directly elected every four years. In 1986 the six metropolitan county councils were abolished, with their functions transferred to
7392-588: The word "coroner" referred to an officer of the Crown, derived from the French couronne and Latin corona , meaning "crown". The office of the coroner dates from approximately the 11th century, shortly after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. The office of coroner was established by lex scripta in Richard I 's England. In September 1194, it was decreed by Article 20 of the " Articles of Eyre " to establish
7480-471: Was an opportunity to offer or provide that care that was not taken. An open conclusion should only be used as a last resort and is given where the cause of death cannot be identified on the evidence available to the inquest. Conclusions are arrived at on the balance of probabilities ; prior to 2020, conclusions of suicide or unlawful killing were required to be proved to the criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt. The coroner service in England and Wales
7568-491: Was divided by the Local Government Board for Ireland into district electoral divisions , each returning a single councillor for a three-year term. In addition urban districts were to form electoral divisions: depending on population they could return multiple county councillors. The county councils were also to consist of "additional members": The first county council elections were held on 6 April 1899, and
7656-431: Was elected every three years. Aldermen were additional members, there being a ratio of one alderman to three councillors. Aldermen had a six-year term of office, and one half of their number were elected by the councillors immediately after the triennial elections. This was the same in all county councils at this time, as defined by the Local Government Act 1888 . From the establishment of the county council in 1889 onwards
7744-467: Was re-established. The reforms somewhat blurred the distinction between county and district council. The Isle of Wight county council became a unitary authority, renamed the "Isle of Wight Council". Conversely, two unitary district councils added the word "county" to their titles to become " Rutland County Council District Council" and "County of Herefordshire District Council". A further wave of local government reform took place in April 2009 under
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