The Coroners (Inquests) (Amendment) Rules 2021

The Coroners (Inquest) Rules 2013 regulate the practice and procedure relating to inquests conducted as part of an investigation into a death under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (c. 25). This instrument amends one aspect of those Rules, namely, a note in Form 2 in the Schedule. This amendment is being made to reflect the decision of the Supreme Court in R (on the application of Maughan) v Her Majesty’s Senior Coroner for Oxfordshire [2020] UKSC 46. The decision in that case confirmed that the standard of proof for the short form conclusions of “unlawful killing” and “suicide” is the civil standard of proof and not the criminal standard of proof. To reflect this, note (iii) in Form 2 (that originally set out the distinction in the standard of proof) is omitted. The civil standard is the default position and accordingly no distinction is needed, and it will apply to all short form conclusions.