If it was not possible to find out the cause of death from the post mortem examination, or the death is found to be unnatural (or occurred in state detention) or the Coroner thinks there is a good reason to continue the investigation, a Coroner has to hold an inquest to be able to finish his or her investigation (the exception is if someone is to be prosecuted for causing the death).
An inquest is a public court hearing held by the Coroner in order to establish who died and how, when and where the death occurred. The inquest may be held with or without a jury, depending on the circumstances of the death. Some Coroners have their own courts but some use other types of courts or public buildings.
An inquest is different from other types of court hearing because there is no prosecution or defence. The purpose of the inquest is to discover the facts of the death. This means that the Coroner (or jury) cannot find a person or organisation criminally responsible for the death. However, if evidence is found that suggests someone may be to blame for the death the Coroner can pass all the evidence gathered to the Police or Crown Prosecution Service.
