Inquests and inquiries
Civil emergencies — Authorised Professional Practice
Summary
This APP topic outlines the purpose and processes surrounding inquests and inquiries related to deaths. It explains that an inquest, as defined by the Coroners and Justice Act 2009, aims to establish who the deceased was, the circumstances of their death, and information required for death registration. Similar inquiries, called fatal accident inquiries, are conducted in Scotland to explore circumstances surrounding deaths that may involve criminal acts or public concern. It also covers judicial inquiries that assess the response to mass fatalities and identify improvements for future responses. The content emphasizes the importance of fact-finding rather than establishing blame, and how recommendations may arise from these inquiries.
Key principles
- 1Establish the identity and circumstances of a deceased person through inquests.
- 2Conduct fatal accident inquiries in Scotland for serious cases of unexplained death.
- 3Facilitate judicial inquiries to evaluate agency response in mass fatalities and improve future practices.
Full guidance
This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
The purpose of an inquest under the **Coroners and Justice Act 2009**(opens an external website in the same tab) is to hear the evidence relating to an investigation into the death of a person, and for the jury (or HM Coroner or Procurator Fiscal, if there is no jury) to determine:
who the deceased was * when, where and by what means they came by their death * the details required to register the death
The inquest is limited in scope but can be extended in some circumstances and HM Coroner or Procurator Fiscal also has a duty to report matters which may give rise to similar deaths occurring in future.
A similar process, known as a fatal accident inquiry, is held in Scotland under the **Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016**(opens an external website in the same tab) .
Fatal accident inquiries (Scotland)
The procurator fiscal carries out an investigation to determine whether there are circumstances that suggest the death may have been caused as a result of a criminal act or omission. If not, then the investigation may discover that the death has occurred in circumstances where a discretionary fatal accident inquiry (FAI) is appropriate. An inquiry may be held in other cases of sudden, suspicious or unexplained death, or death in circumstances that cause serious public concern. Decisions on whether these discretionary inquiries are held are made by the lord advocate.
An FAI is essentially a fact-finding exercise carried out in the public interest. Its purpose is not to apportion blame for the death, but to determine:
where and when the death took place * the cause of the death * reasonable precautions whereby the death might have been avoided * the defects, if any, in any system of working that contributed to the death or any accident resulting in the death * other facts relevant to the circumstances of the death
FAI recommendations are made by sheriffs at the conclusion of the inquiry.
Other judicial and quasi-judicial inquiries may take place to determine the cause and consequences of a mass fatality incident and review the manner in which the agencies involved in the response conducted themselves.
These inquiries can include a:
central government-sponsored public inquiry * local government-sponsored public inquiry * criminal trial against an individual or corporate body
The usual aim of a public inquiry is to:
identify information that can be used to improve future responses * make recommendations to reduce the likelihood of a similar scenario occurring
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Read the full APP guidanceSource: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.